Against The Current
by Blue-Winter-Angel
Summary: When Anna is paired with the captain of the soccer team for an extra credit assignment, she's convinced the world is against her. But is there more to the hotheaded, smooth talking senior than she thought? Can they put aside their differences and let the current guide them, or will the stormy seas drag them under? After all, sometimes opposites really do attract. For Ski October.
1. Part One

**Hi darlings~**

**This is a very, very belated birthday gift for my beautiful friend, Ski October. I started writing this back in March, but then life got in the way and unfortunately I was forced to put it on the back burner until I'd not only finished my other projects, but had the time to get back to it. It's easily the most challenging thing I've ever written - and the most frustrating, but I'm really happy with the end result. I also never expected it to be as massive as it is, which means I've had to split it into three parts and will post a chapter every few days.**

**You'll notice that there are some new characters - and even a new pairing, which is what made this such a tricky thing to write. However, I had a blast putting it all together and I hope you enjoy reading it. **

**I know it took forever, Anna, but here's hoping it was worth the wait :)**

**Disclaimer: Sky High and all it's canon characters belong to Disney. Anyone or anything unfamiliar to the franchise belongs to me.**

* * *

_So they say  
There are other fishes in the sea  
But the only one that's missing  
Is the one that swims for me  
So you say  
Oh dear, just wait patiently  
Love will come along  
Eventually_

_So I tried to swim against the current_  
_To live my life and let me be_  
_So don't cast me a line_  
_'Cause I've run out of time_  
_To live_  
_A lie_

_Against the Current ~ Mree_

* * *

If there was one thing Anna loved more than the sun, it was the rain.

While most people ran for cover and the security of a dry space when the sky opened and water came trickling down from the heavens, she would stand out in the open, head turned to the sky. She had loved the rain ever since she was a child; her parents had photo albums full of their bright eyed daughter sitting in a puddle or splashing about in the pool. She never quite understood her love of the cool, soothing substance, but she wasn't about to question it. It was something she took pride in. Her willingness to be different was what separated her from the forced smiles and snobby cliques of her fancy high school, Sky High. They were every bit as fake as their cheerful attitudes, although every now and again, if you were lucky, you would stumble upon a diamond in the rough. Anna made sure to surround herself with the precious jewels and discard the faulty, dirty stones.

It didn't matter, though. She was invisible to them, and they to her.

She preferred it that way.

Which is why, as the rain poured down on the unsuspecting students that crowded the campus steps early one morning, Anna strode confidently past them as they screeched, screamed and hid under their bags for shelter. Admittedly, she had an umbrella protecting her from the wet – it had taken her a while to pick her outfit and she wasn't going to see it dampened from the rain – but that didn't lessen her amusement at their supposed misfortune.

"Babies," she murmured under her breath as she cleared the top step and slipped in through the open front doors.

The halls were busier than usual, seeing as the weather outside wasn't as pleasant as most people would prefer it to be. It didn't bother Anna in the slightest; she weaved her way through the bustling crowds as if the people who surrounded her were not there. Voices surged above each other, chatting about classes and the soccer team's latest win and, nauseatingly, what outfits girls were going to wear to the party being held over the weekend.

Thankfully her locker wasn't blocked by some airheaded jock and his girlfriend sucking face today. They had learned to do that elsewhere after she sprayed them with water from her bottle. The cheerleader's traumatized wails had been music to her ears. Now, Anna wasn't cruel by any means; she just didn't have time for the idiots she went to school with. Honestly. They were seniors for goodness sake – could they at least act their age?

Oh right. They were.

A few quick twists of the combination lock and the locker door popped open, allowing her to empty her bag of the books she wouldn't need until the afternoon and trade them for the ones she needed now. She checked her reflection in the mirror on the inside of the door before closing it and hitching the strap of her satchel further up her shoulder.

"Anna!"

The delicate, high pitched voice pierced the droning hum of conversation around her and she turned, spotting Ava's brunette head bobbing through the crowd as she shoved her way through. Ava was at least three inches shorter than Anna, and as such she had taken to wearing heels to even the difference.

Slipping past the remaining students, Ava strode to her best friends side and linked their arms together. Her cherry red lips pursed in distaste as she noticed she was once again the short one. "You jerk!" she cried. "Why are you taller than me? I told you you're not allowed to wear heels."

Anna laughed. "Since when do you dictate what I wear?"

"Since your choice of footwear threatens my already delicate frame of mind. I can't stand being the short one all the damn time." Ava scrunched her nose, hazel eyes sparking with indignation.

Anna wasn't fazed in the slightest. "Sorry, shortcake, I can't help you out there. Why not go buy yourself a pair of those crazy Lady Gaga heels? I'm sure that'll even up the playing field."

"Please," Ava scoffed. "I'd like for my ankles to remain unbroken, thank you very much. How that woman walks in shoes like that, I'll never know."

Anna shrugged. Ava was five feet and two inches of pure win; she was sassy and demanding and didn't give a damn what other people thought. Anna envied her confidence. "Maybe she was a circus performer as a child. Those shoes can double for stilts, right?"

Ava smiled. "Probably. By the way, I love your outfit. Are those new boots?"

"Yeah. I bought them on Friday. I don't see what the big deal is; these boots don't even have heels." She looked down at her clothes with a sense of absolute satisfaction. It had taken her at least half an hour to put her outfit together, but the final product was well worth the stress: dark blue jeans, a white sweater with a red scarf and her new leather riding boots to keep her feet warm. Her soft, dirty blonde hair hung around her face with two thick braids pulled back from her temples. And as always, she wore her ash grey trench coat over it all. She wasn't quite as fashion conscious as most of the girls here, but she appreciated looking her best as much as the next person.

"I approve."

"Thanks," Anna replied, soft grey eyes scanning the crowds for her other friend. He usually came looking for her by now. "Where's TJ?"

"Hanging out in the classroom already," Ava replied. "The teachers opened them up early because it's raining and they didn't want the hall to be too crowded."

Anna snickered as they ducked under the arms of two football players tossing their ball back and forth across the hall. "Oh yeah, it's not crowded at all."

Ava rolled her eyes. "You're so cynical this morning. Have you had coffee yet?"

"Two cups," she confirmed. "I'm pleasantly buzzed, but I could totally go for another. You aren't stashing any in your bag, are you?"

"You make it sound like a crime." She sniffed. "But no, I'm not. We'll get our fix at lunch." The bell rang above their heads, loud and shrill. "For now, we need to get to class before we're late."

Their homeroom was still relatively empty by the time they arrived. TJ sat with his feet perched on the desk, the back legs of his chair the only ones touching the floor as he rocked back and forth. "About time you two got here. What took you so long?"

Anna tugged on one of his blonde dreadlocks. "Shut it, stoner. The halls were full."

TJ smacked her hand away. "For the love of God, woman, I'm not a stoner."

"Then get rid of the dreads."

TJ's pale blue eyes narrowed at her comment. "Don't threaten my lovely locks, invisi-girl."

Anna laughed. TJ Deaton, or Trenton James as he absolutely hated to be called, was her other best friend. He had a soft, boyish face and enough charm and sweetness to give you a mouthful of cavities. His parents were very well off and wished for their son to be as refined and perfect as they were, but he did pretty much everything they didn't want him to. His mother constantly complained about his hair, claiming it would make people think he was "of a bad sort," hence Anna's tendency to call him stoner. Despite his privileged upbringing, he was as real and down to earth as they came, and he fit in with Anna and Ava like he was meant to be there all along.

"Whatever," Anna deadpanned, waving his comment off as the other students began to file in. The teacher soon followed, having been absent when they arrived earlier. He took the student roll and reminded them of the senior year assembly that afternoon before the bell screeched again and they left for their first class. Ava and TJ went off to Mad Science while Anna left for her English class.

Mrs. Jane Whittaker was easily Anna's favourite teacher; not only did she teach Anna's best class but she had the ability to make you feel welcomed and completely relaxed the moment you stepped into her classroom. Said comforts were currently in effect as Anna slipped into her seat and placed her beloved brown leather satchel on the floor. "Good morning, Mrs. Whittaker," she greeted pleasantly.

Mrs. Whittaker looked up from her notes, her dark eyes finding Anna's pale face in the small crowd. "Oh, Anna," she said, tucking a lock of her straight black hair behind her ear. "I didn't hear you come in."

She smiled. "That's okay. Did you have a good weekend?"

"Yes, thank you." She rose from her seat, subtly brushing her hands down her pencil skirt to rid it of any crinkles. "You don't need to get your books out today, dear," she said as Anna rummaged through her satchel for her pencils and notebook. "We won't be staying long."

"Oh, okay," Anna replied, confused. She watched as the latecomers shuffled into the room, smiling sheepishly at their teacher as she teased them with a few sharp clicks of her tongue. When everyone had arrived and the final bell had stopped its wailing, she leaned her hip against the side of her desk and called for silence. In the next second all eyes were on her, curious and energetic.

"Good morning, everyone," she began, smiling happily. You could tell she enjoyed her job. "I hope you all had a good weekend. Now, I know most of you are still working on your essays from last week, so I thought you could all benefit from some time in the library." There was a rush of happy voices from her students, several rising from their seats the moment she finished speaking. She laughed and gestured to the door. "If you're ready, feel free to head on down. But first, I'd like some of you stay behind for a moment, if that's okay. I need: Catherine, Alec, Louise, Roland, Anna and Jasmine, please."

Anna froze, the strap of her satchel gripped in her hand. She had been looking forward to spending some time in the library, but apparently that wasn't going to happen today. Someone laughed and the sound jolted her into action; she pulled the strap up over her shoulder and joined the other students at the front of the class.

"Is something wrong, Mrs. Whittaker?" asked Catherine, anxiously pulling at the hem of her shirt. "Are we in trouble?"

Mrs. Whittaker laughed and the sound soothed any worries her students were harboring. "Not at all, Cat. I'm actually the bearer of good news today, if you can believe it. Principal Powers has set up a tutoring program for some of the other seniors who aren't doing so well at the moment, and she asked if I could lend a few of my students to help out." Alec groaned and the teacher smiled. "Before you start complaining, children, I feel I should inform you that if you agree to participate it will count as extra credit toward your final grade. You all have excellent grades, so I'm perfectly happy to send you off to help. I promise none of you will fall behind when you're out of class. Any questions?"

Jasmine raised her hand; green eyes alight at the thought of helping her fellow classmates. "How long will the project take?"

"It's going to run until your end of year exams, so a few months. You'll have one or two sessions a week with your partner, which will usually take place during your lessons with me. Yes, Louise?"

"Who exactly are we tutoring?"

Mrs. Whittaker reached for a list on her desk, dark eyes scanning the names written down on the paper. "They're all seniors like you; some of them seem to be from the soccer team. I imagine it will be quite a mixture, dear." She placed the list back on the desk and clapped her hands. "Anything else? No? Wonderful." With nothing else to say, she led her remaining students down the hall to the library.

Anna followed behind in silence, lost in her thoughts. She was flattered that Mrs. Whittaker had put her forward to help, but she wasn't sure she'd be able to properly tutor another student. She crossed her fingers and hoped she wouldn't be paired with a cheerleader; not that they were stupid or anything, just annoying. She was in no mood to listen to a scantily clad, nasally voiced cheerleader complaining about how she "like, totally thought she understood this algebra stuff and would _so _get an A, because, duh."

_Do people even talk like that these days? _She shuddered at the possibility.

The library was still relatively empty, seeing as it was only first period, but Mrs. Whittaker led them back to the tables along the far wall where Principal Powers stood waiting for them. "Good morning, everyone," she greeted warmly. "I assume your teacher has already explained the situation, but I just wanted to say thank you for agreeing to help. I'm sure this will not only benefit the students you'll be assisting, but yourselves as well. You may even make some new friends. Now, if you'll follow me, I'll assign you to your partners."

There were already several pairs seated at the tables, books scattered around them as they studied, but the headmistress led Anna and her group down to a section of the library where many others still waited. One by one, they were paired off: Alec and Jasmine with two students from Anna's art class, and the rest of them with members from the school's famous soccer team; The Sky High Knights.

Anna was the second last one to be assigned her tutoring partner, and the person she got was definitely not the one she'd been expecting. "Anna, you'll be paired with Warren. The subject he's here to get help with is History. Do you think you can handle that?"

_Uh, no. No offence, but it's Warren Peace: all around Casanova and jerk of the century. Can I swap? _Anna bit down so hard on her tongue she feared her teeth would cut straight through. She highly doubted the principal would approve of such a disagreeable statement and so she lifted her chin, set her jaw and nodded, trying not to glance down at the male who sat at the table beside her. "Of course," she said tightly, fingers clenched tight around the strap of her satchel.

"Fantastic," said Principal Powers. "I'll leave you to it then." And with that, she turned and led Roland over to the next table to meet his partner, the two shaking hands and getting straight down to business.

Anna knew she had to sit down, or at the very least acknowledge the person who was currently burning a hole into the back of her head with his eyes, but she didn't want to. She knew he was pyrokinetic, but he didn't have heat vision, did he? She resisted the urge to touch the back of her head just to be sure.

_Come on, Anna, _she thought to herself. _Think of the extra credit. It's just a few months. Oh God, it's a few _months. _No doubt_ _I'll end up stabbing him with my pen before the end of the day._

After taking a deep, calming breath, Anna turned and plonked herself down on the chair already pulled out for her. She placed her satchel on the seat beside her and reluctantly raised her eyes to the person across from her.

Warren Peace was the picture of nonchalance, reclined in his chair and casually turning a wide silver ring between his fingers. His dark brown hair was pulled back and tied at the back of his head with a leather strap, exposing his tanned throat to the weak sunlight streaming in through the windows. She could see the flame tattoos on his forearms and quickly averted her gaze; she knew he had them, but it was strange to see them up close. Not many students here had tattoos.

She heard him chuckle softly and her eyes flew to his face. She had to admit he was attractive with his dark brown eyes, high cheekbones and full lips, but that didn't excuse his horrible attitude and sense of self worth. She could tell just by looking at him that he was completely full of himself. It wouldn't shock her if he tried to bargain his way into simply getting her to do his work for him so he could finish sleeping with the rest of the cheer squad. For the fourth time.

"So, are we just going to sit here in silence for the rest of the day? Because that's fine with me. I brought a book."

To further prove his point, Warren slipped the ring onto one of his long fingers and reached under the desk, pulling out a slightly worn copy of Great Expectations. Anna's eyes narrowed as she took in the creases in the binding; it was obviously a book that had been read several times before.

"Dickens?" she asked despite herself.

Warren looked up at the sound of her voice, his eyes alight with mischief. "Yes, Dickens. Do you have a problem with that?"

"Not at all," she said stiffly. "I just wouldn't have pegged you as a fan of the classics."

He chuckled. "Well then, maybe that will teach you not to judge."

"_Excuse me?"_

He leaned back, hands raised in surrender. "Sorry," he said, although he didn't sound sorry at all. "Did I strike a nerve?"

_I'll strike you in a minute, wiseass._

Instead of acting on her frustrations, she straightened up and retrieved a notebook from her satchel. "So, you're behind in History. How far behind are we talking?"

Warren tilted back in his chair, the front legs lifting from the ground and making the chair rock gently back and forth. It was the mirror image of what TJ had done earlier and she resisted the temptation to kick the seat and send him toppling to the ground. "Does it matter?" he asked smoothly.

Anna pursed her lips. "Seeing as this class makes up a pretty big part of your final grade, I'd say yes. It matters."

"I'd say I'm pretty far behind."

"How far?"

"I'm failing."

Her eyes widened and she made a strangled sound in the back of her throat. "You're _failing_? How can you be failing?"

He shrugged. "I'd say not trying played a pretty big part. But enough about me," he said, gesturing to her with an open hand. "Tell me about yourself. What's your favourite subject, favourite band; what color is your bra?"

Anna looked desperately over her shoulder for any sign of a teacher so she could beg to be switched with someone else, but there was no one around. She was stuck. "I hope you realize how inappropriate that is," she seethed, her eyes flicking everywhere that didn't have his stupid face in it.

"Maybe you're just a bit uptight. If you ask nicely I'll give you a massage. I'm very good with my hands." She could see his bright grin from the corner of her eye and cursed under her breath, whipping her head around to glare at him. She refused to deal with his crap for however long they were forced to work together.

"Listen up, Peace," she growled, the sudden change in her tone taking him by surprise. His eyes widened in amusement, but he remained silent. "The only reason I'm here is so I can earn the extra credit, and I will _not _let you screw it up for me. You will do what I tell you and hopefully, by some miracle, I'll be able to get you a good grade. Do you understand me?"

He had the sense to look sheepish, but didn't relent. "You're a dominant little thing, aren't you? God knows what you'd be like between the sheets." The grin was back, proud and unapologetic. "You're the smart one here; can't you just do all the work for me? I get a good grade, you get your credits. Everybody wins."

Anna was fuming. Her blood boiled beneath her skin and for a second she wondered if she had steam coming out of her ears. "You don't want to take this even a little bit seriously, do you?"

He continued rocking on his seat. "Why should I?"

His blatant disregard for what this meant for them both drove her from her seat. She slammed her hands down on the tabletop and leaned over it, glaring daggers into his pretty little face. He stopped rocking, gripping the table leg for balance. "Because this affects me as much as it does you. Because if you don't focus I won't get my credits when I deserve them. Because, Warren Peace, for once in your life, this is something that isn't entirely about _you._" Desperate for some way to vent her anger, she shoved his chest with her tiny hand. Unprepared for the swift movement, Warren lost his grip on the table, overbalanced and toppled to the ground, legs hanging over the edge of the chair.

Anna stared down at him, resisting the urge to laugh at his misfortune. Instead she sniffed, shoved the notebook back into her satchel and stormed out of the library.

x-x-x

"He's absolutely insufferable! I mean, you'd think he'd care a _little _that his grades are low and he needs to pass this class to have any hope of actually graduating. I don't want to say he's a bonehead, but he's a bonehead. I was trying to help him and he just kept hitting on me. The man oozes innuendo. It's awful. And – TJ, are you even listening?"

TJ continued to hop in front of her, trying to keep the multi-colored hacky sack off the ground. His expression was one of utmost concentration and he let out a violent string of curse words when it slipped from his shoe and landed in the grass. "Damn it, woman," he whined. "You broke my concentration with all your complaining."

"Whatever. You suck at that anyway. I thought stoners were supposed to be good at hacky sack," she teased. "You're disgracing your heritage."

"I'd like to see you do better," he shot back. "It's harder than it looks, I'll have you know." He glared down at the little ball, picked it up and threw it into Anna's lap before he settled down beside her on the grass. They usually spent their lunch breaks outside, and since the rain had let up they had no reason not to continue on that way. Ava was still in the cafeteria ordering her lunch, which gave Anna and TJ a few minutes to themselves. Anna was making the most of it, venting her frustrations to the poor boy that sat with her, knowing that he wouldn't make a big deal and beg for details like Ava would.

Anna turned the hacky sack between her fingers, angry and miserable at the same time. "What am I going to do, TJ? I can't get out of this."

TJ draped an arm over her shoulders. "He's really that bad?"

"Oh yeah."

"And there's no way to get out of it?"

"Nope."

"Hmm." He frowned, absently pulling on one of his dreads; he always did it when he was lost in thought. "You know what I think?"

"That hacky sack is the greatest game in the world?" she supplied weakly.

He grinned, showing off straight white teeth. "Of course, but that's not the point. I think you shouldn't let him get to you." She scoffed and went to speak, but he cut her off. "Let me finish. You want these credits, I can tell; so don't let him get in the way of that. Besides, if he keeps being an ass you can always beat him up."

Anna laughed softly and leaned into him. "I don't know, TJ. I could barely stand to be around him for five minutes. I'm not sure I can last a few months."

"Just try," he encouraged. "I honestly think, if you both put in the effort, you'd do really well together. Warren's not that bad once you get to know him. At the very least, give him a chance. One chance. That's all I ask."

"Do you really have to take his side on this?" she asked.

TJ smiled and nodded his head. "We used to play soccer together, Anna. It's bro code."

"Right. Ball buddies."

"_Soccer ball _buddies," he corrected her, gently bumping her with his shoulder. "Warren's an attractive guy and all, but I think you're being a bit presumptuous."

Anna raised her eyebrows and fought hard to hide her smile. "I'm not even going to ask."

"Yeah, good idea." TJ chuckled to himself and glanced over Anna's head, lifting his chin as he spotted something in the distance. "Ava's coming."

Anna looked over her shoulder, giving Ava a small wave when she spotted them. "Not a word to Ava about this, okay? At least, not for a little while."

"No problem," he replied quietly. "Do me a favor and at least think about what I told you, okay?"

She glanced down at the hacky sack in her hand and let out a low sigh. "Okay."

x-x-x

While her conversation with TJ earlier in the week had eased her mind a little, she still found herself dreading the next study session with Warren. No doubt he'd be as much a pompous ass as he had been the first time, despite the fact that she'd shoved him flat on his back. She wondered what he had done after she'd left. _Probably joked with his friends about how easy it was to rile me up, _she thought to herself. _Maybe I should take up meditation. I'd like to see you piss me off then, jerk face._

Her second tutoring session wasn't until Friday afternoon and she was having trouble deciding whether that was a blessing or a curse. A blessing because she could go straight home afterward, and a curse because it gave her the entire rest of the week to dread and stress and agonize over the hour she'd have to spend with him, trying to get something, _anything _through that thick skull of his.

She'd eventually caved and told Ava about the situation she was in. While she had been supportive, she'd also been way too overexcited about the fact that Anna got to spend so much time with Warren each week.

"I mean, I get that he can be an ass sometimes, but you have to admit that the man is absolutely _gorgeous. _And when he takes his shirt off? Good God, I hope someone has defrib paddles nearby because I'm gonna flat line like a son of a bitch."

Anna had stared at her in silence, unsure of what to say. TJ, as supportive as he always was, laughed until he started crying.

"Seriously, though," Ava continued on after TJ calmed down, wiping the tears from his cheeks. "If he keeps being rude, you let me know. I'll send him through a few walls or something. No one picks on my baby and gets away with it."

She had smiled at that and wrapped her arms around Ava's tiny frame. As strange as her friends were, she knew they'd always have her back.

And as she walked through the open library doors early Friday afternoon, she thought of them and their unending support. She could more than handle herself, but perhaps if one of them had skipped class to hang out in the library, it may have eased her mind some. Or at least keep her calm enough to not gouge one of Warren's eyes out.

Ms. Marshall, the librarian, smiled warmly as Anna walked past her desk. "Good afternoon, Miss Clarke," she said quietly.

"Hi, Ms. Marshall," Anna replied. "I'm almost finished with that book I borrowed the other day. It should be back in your capable hands by Monday."

Ms. Marshall chuckled. "You don't have to return it for another two weeks, Anna, but thank you. I believe there's someone waiting for you up the back."

Anna forced her mouth to keep its smile and not twist into a grimace. "Thanks. I'll go find him."

It didn't take her long to spot him in the far corner of the library, reclined in his chair like he had been the last time. To her surprise, however, he wasn't alone. A slender brunette girl was perched on the edge of the desk, her long hair covering her face. She was still too far away to see Warren's expression properly, but it wasn't hard to tell that he was giving this girl his full attention. She hung back, watching on curiously as the two conversed in low voices. Warren's brows drew together and the girl ran her thumb between them to smooth the lines away. He smiled at her and started speaking again; Anna noticed that her hand was laid over his on the desk.

Suddenly Warren turned his head and their eyes met across the room. Anna briefly considered diving behind a bookshelf and pretending she hadn't just been standing in full view, but instead she stayed put and merely lifted her chin in silent acknowledgement. Warren said something to the girl beside him and she looked over her shoulder to investigate. Anna wasn't close enough to see her face in great detail, but it wasn't hard to tell that she was pretty. She brushed a lock of thick, wavy hair from her face and gave Anna a bright smile before turning back to Warren. She saw her lips move and watched as she pinched Warren's chin between her thumb and forefinger before she slipped from the edge of the desk, pat his shoulder and walked away.

With nowhere else to go, Anna reluctantly crossed the room to where Warren sat. He didn't look up from the stained wood of the desk as Anna placed her satchel on the ground and sat down across from him. They sat in silence for what felt like an age; Warren's face was smooth, his eyes faraway. Not wanting to interrupt after the conversation he'd just had, she began to retrieve her things from the satchel at her feet. She'd just flipped open her notebook when he decided to speak.

"Hey."

She jumped at the sudden noise, her pale eyes rising to meet his across the desk. He looked different today; calm, maybe even a little vulnerable.

_Yeah right. Warren Peace, vulnerable? I don't think so._

Anna cleared her throat and straightened up in her seat. "Hey," she replied frostily. She was still mad at him for the way he had treated her earlier in the week and forced herself to remember the deal she'd made with TJ. It took a great deal of effort to see through the lingering frustrations and focus on the fact that she'd agreed to try.

Warren's lips twitched at the sound of her voice. Obviously her anger wasn't as subtle as she'd thought. "How has your day been so far?"

She raised an eyebrow, but decided to humor him. "Fine, thank you. And yours?"

He shrugged. "Same old, same old."

"Okay, then," she replied slowly, unsure of this new behavior he was currently displaying. With nothing left to say, she began to retrieve her books from the satchel at her feet, all the while waiting for him to start his onslaught of innuendo and asinine comments.

He remained silent as she unpacked her things and laid them out on the desk, clearing his throat for her attention only when he knew she was done. She looked up at him in surprise half at the fact that he hadn't teased her yet, and half because he was actually being polite. Well, sort of. "Listen," he began in a quiet voice. "I uh… I want to apologize for my behavior the other day. I was way out of line." He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, eyes downcast. "I'm sorry if I upset you at all."

Anna stared at him for a long moment, mouth slightly agape. He was _apologizing _to her? "Um…" she mumbled, fidgeting with her pen as she tried to think of something to say in response. Sure, she was still angry, but it seemed as though he'd realized his mistakes and was trying to make up for them. That deserved a bit of credit, didn't it? "Apology accepted."

His expression melted into one of relief, his shoulders slumping from their tight bunch. "Thanks," he said. "I wasn't sure if you'd forgive me. I was a complete ass to you."

"Yeah, you were," she agreed. "But, I think everyone deserves a second chance."

He smiled sheepishly. "If you don't mind, perhaps we could start over? I promise I'll be nice."

Despite herself and the anger that had been festering inside her all week, Anna smiled in return. "Sure. I'd like that."

Warren leaned forward and held out his hand. "Hi, I'm Warren Peace."

She glanced down at his hand, stretched over the desk for her to take. "You're introducing yourself? Really?"

He shrugged. "Just go with it."

Not wanting to make things more awkward than they were, Anna dropped her pen and reached out to take his hand. His skin was toasty warm against her palm and her fingers tightened reflexively. Warren's eyes flicked down to his hand, his smile growing. She wondered if that was the way people usually reacted to his body temperature. He was a pyrotechnic after all; of course his skin would be warm. "Anna Clarke," she said simply.

Warren nodded. "Nice to meet you, Miss Clarke." He squeezed her hand once before letting go and reclining back in his seat. "So, History…"

"History," Anna confirmed, reaching for her textbook. "If you don't mind me asking, what brought all this on?" she asked, looking up at him under her lashes as she flipped through the pages of her book.

He rubbed his jaw with long fingers. "A friend managed to talk some sense into me."

She nodded, smoothing the pages out as she found the one she'd been looking for. "We're going to start with The War," she said. "Is that okay?"

"That's fine," he replied. "Do I need to take notes?"

"Probably a good idea."

The contrast between their first and second study session was startling. Instead of bickering and yelling at each other, Warren and Anna worked pleasantly together, conversing easily and even laughing from time to time. It was still a little awkward, as they didn't know each other very well, but they were trying. TJ would be proud.

Warren ended up being a very good listener. He took notes as she read from the textbook and gave him her own theories on certain events from the history of their kind. On several occasions they sat in silence, Warren bent over his notebook as his pen scribbled line after line. Anna watched him happily, grateful for his change in attitude, which would allow them to get the work done and end up where they wanted to be by the end of the year. If they could keep it up, that is.

It was during one of these bouts of companionable silence that Anna thought of the girl she had seen sitting with him earlier. Was that the friend he had been talking about? They seemed very close, but it looked more like flirting than a serious conversation. Either way, it wasn't her business; but the girl still intrigued her. Anyone who could talk sense into Warren Peace deserved an award.

A distant ringing went off down the hall, jolting Anna from her thoughts. She straightened up in her seat and checked her phone for the time. Three o'clock on the dot. "It's time to go home already?" she asked, surprised.

Warren sat back and rubbed at his eyes. "Apparently," he replied. "I didn't even notice."

"Yeah, me neither." She looked at his book and smiled at double page of notes he'd taken. "Good work today," she praised. "You did better than I thought."

"Thanks. I guess I have a good teacher." He rolled his shoulders and began to pack up his things.

Anna scoffed. "Please. I haven't taught you anything yet. Wait until we get around to studying for your exam; you're going to hate me."

He laughed to himself. "I highly doubt it could get any worse than the other day."

At that, Anna remembered something very important. "Look, Warren, about that…" she hesitated, unsure of how to put the words together. He waited patiently for her to speak again, brown eyes calm and reassuring. She noticed dark smudges under his eyes and wondered if he'd been getting enough sleep. "I'm sorry about what I said, and for pushing you over." She cringed a little at the memory, despite how good she'd felt at the time. "That must have hurt. It seems you weren't the only one being an ass that day."

He shook his head, which sent several locks of his dark brown hair swinging in front of his eyes. "Don't worry about it. I completely deserved it."

"So, we're even then?"

He nodded, smiling. "We're even."

x-x-x

"What kind of power do you have?"

Anna looked up from her book to see Warren staring at her across the table. "I haven't told you?"

He shook his head. "Nope. I was just reading a list of common powers and realized I've never asked what yours is."

Anna and Warren had been working together for three weeks now, and safe to say their relationship had improved dramatically. TJ had been very pleased to hear that the two were trying their best to get along, although they still clashed when discussing objects of study. But, as Anna had so eloquently put it: _it's all in the name of education, so it's fine. I can yell at him as much as I want when he questions my knowledge._

Apart from the occasional disagreement, they got along rather well. Their study sessions were often interrupted by Warren's teammates and friends, but Anna had learned to live with it. So long as they didn't overstay their welcome, in which case she had a tendency to get a bit snippy. Warren always found such moments hilarious.

"It's kind of hard to explain."

"Try me," Warren encouraged. "I've seen some pretty weird powers in my time. Actually, let me see if I can guess."

"This should be interesting," she said and crossed her arms over her chest. "Give it your best shot, Hothead."

"I'll have you know that I'm not as hotheaded as I used to be. I am, however, still hot." He grinned at her, revealing two small dimples in his cheeks.

"Quit tooting your own horn and get on with it, would you?" she teased.

"Alright, alright. Are you a shape shifter?"

"No."

"Flyer?"

"Nope."

"Telekinetic?"

"No, but I know someone who is."

"Are they scary?"

"Not really. Except when you call her short, then she's terrifying."

"Noted. Okay, um… any kind of element control?"

"No, sir."

"Am I getting warm?"

"Afraid not. It's more a defensive talent."

"Like the Hulk?"

"I'm pretty sure Hulk just smashes the crap out of stuff."

"Are you Batman?"

"You're not even trying anymore."

"You're Batman, aren't you?"

"Do I look like a man to you?"

"Bat_girl _then."

"Warren."

"God damn it, woman," he groaned, rubbing his hands over his face. "I don't know. All this thinking is giving me a headache. Just tell me already."

"Watch," she instructed.

Warren kept his dark eyes on her face, waiting expectantly for an answer to his question. Anna let her body relax, delighting in the faint tingle that ran over her skin as she activated her powers. Warren's eyes widened at the dull shimmer her body gave off before she completely vanished. "So," he said slowly. "Invisibility."

"Yep," she replied. "My skin reflects the light, kind of like a mirror effect."

"Nice. Does that mean you're a sidekick?"

"No, I'm a Hero."

His brows furrowed. "Invisibility got you Hero status? That doesn't make much sense."

"I'm trained in kick boxing as well, which adds offense to the defense."

"That's cool. All I can do is set stuff on fire."

"I'd say that's still pretty impressive."

"Thanks." He smiled at her; he did that a lot these days. "Now, would you mind solidifying again, or whatever? Talking to thin air is starting to freak me out a bit."

In a blink she was visible again. "Pretty cool, huh?"

Warren's face smoothed out and he scoffed. "It's alright."

Anna laughed quietly and shoved his arm. "Whatever. Get back to work."

His eyes drifted back to the textbook on the table before rising again. "Hey, how come your clothes vanish too?"

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, shouldn't your clothes just kind of float in midair whenever you disappear?"

"Oh," she said. "Um, apparently there's something in my DNA that affects whatever I'm wearing and allows it to disappear and reappear as I do. I don't quite understand it, but it beats having to undress every time I use my powers."

Warren shook his head and went back to his work. They sat in companionable silence for a while, poring over their textbooks, when Anna heard Warren talking in a low voice. "How have we never met before?" he asked.

She looked up at him, pausing when she saw that he was staring straight at her. For a moment she wondered whether his question had been rhetorical, but he seemed to be waiting for a response. "Um," she stammered. "Well, we run in different social circles for one."

His eyes narrowed. "No, I'm sure I still would have noticed you."

She smiled shyly. "I don't really stand out that much. I prefer to be invisible."

His jaw clenched softly beneath his skin as he glanced at the ring on his finger. "You're not invisible to me," he murmured. "Not anymore."

x-x-x

"My God, I'm so full. If I slip into a coma, can you make sure I don't get put into one of those butt-ugly hospital gowns?"

Anna laughed and then clutched her stomach. "Oh man, don't make me laugh. I feel like I'm going to throw up."

"Don't you dare. I don't want vomit on my shoes."

"Fine. I'll be sure to aim for your face."

"Whore."

Anna stopped at the pedestrian crossing and pressed the button to change the traffic lights, leaning on the pole beside her as Ava checked her phone. The two girls had spent the day at the mall, stopping on their way home for pizza. Anna had been grateful for the excuse to get out of the house and away from her thoughts.

Warren's words were weighing heavily on her mind. It had been such a simple phrase, but one that she hadn't forgotten – even though it had been almost three days. He could have simply meant that, now that they knew each other it would be hard not to recognize each other around campus. And yet something about the way he'd looked at her beforehand made her think otherwise. It was beginning to drive her crazy.

If someone had told her a month ago that she'd be friends with Warren Peace, she would have laughed and told them they were insane, and yet that was exactly what had happened. She and Warren had gone from being at each other's throats, to good friends in a matter of weeks. It had surprised her to find that the captain of the soccer team - whom she had pinned as a boneheaded Casanova – was kind, funny and surprisingly smart. He kept up with everything she taught him, asking questions even she hadn't thought to ask.

It made her wonder why he needed tutoring at all. He was doing just fine on his own.

But it wasn't just that that was a constant in the back of her mind. There was also the brunette girl she had seen sitting with him all those weeks ago, the one who made him smile and change his attitude towards her. She had seen her several times since then, and always with Warren. Just yesterday she saw her standing with Warren on the school's front steps, the two laughing and talking together. There had been another person with them, a tall boy with dark hair and pale skin, but Anna hadn't recognized him.

But he had recognized her, for when he glanced across the grounds and saw her walking to the buses with TJ he nudged the girl and jerked his head to where Anna was. She had looked back over her shoulder and Anna had averted her gaze almost instantly, but not before the girl smiled and waved at her as though they were best friends, her bright blue eyes sparkling.

Who was she, and how did she know Warren? And why was she being so nice to her? They'd never even met, and yet she seemed to light up every time Anna was near her. Warren had noticed the exchange and had sent her a smile of his own, further fueling her confusion at the bizarre scenario.

"Anna!"

Anna jumped at the shrill sound of Ava's voice, almost losing her footing as her shoulder slipped off the pole. "Holy crap," she gasped, pressing her fingers against her racing heart. "Scare the daylights out of me, why don't you?"

Ava shrugged. "You weren't listening to me, and the light is green. We can cross now."

"Oh. Sorry." She looked up, blinking against the sunlight as they crossed the street and cut through the local park to get back to Ava's place. There was a small sports field in the center, where a lot of little league clubs gathered for their games. She could see several young children running around in their team jerseys, chasing after a black and white soccer ball. "Great," she muttered bitterly. _Does everything in the world have to come back to Warren?_

"You've been out of it all day," Ava said as they neared the field, giving the rambunctious children a wide berth. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Anna sighed, rubbing at the back of her neck. "I've just got a lot on my mind."

"Like?" Ava prodded gently. "Come on, you can tell me."

_How can I? _she thought to herself. _When I don't even know what I'm feeling. I don't even know why I care. I shouldn't care. God damn it._

"It's just…" she hesitated, trying to make sense of her jumbled thoughts. But it was no use. "I'm worried about exams," she lied, looking down at her feet.

Ava started laughing. "Oh, please! You're the last person who needs to worry about exams; you've been working your ass off all year, and this tutoring thing is giving you extra credit. Honestly, babe, you've got this in the bag. Relax."

"Yeah," she said quietly, ignoring the fact that the mention of tutoring once again reminded her of Warren.

Before they could walk any further the soccer ball the children had been chasing rolled off the field and over to where Anna and Ava stood, knocking gently against Ava's boot as it came to a stop. Ava smiled and bent down to pick it up, turning it in her hands. She lifted it into the air, laughing when the children began shouting excitedly for her to pass it to them. "Hang on a sec," she said. "I'll be right – hey, is that Warren?"

Anna's eyes shot to Ava's startled face. "What?" she asked nervously, hoping against hope that she'd heard her wrong.

"Over there," Ava said, pointing with the soccer ball to a tall male by the bleachers. "It looks just like him."

Anna followed the extension of her arm, eyes landing on the person she was talking about. She couldn't see him properly due to the distance between them, but she'd recognize that dark hair – tied with that silly leather strap at the back of his head – anywhere. It was Warren alright, and he was talking to someone sitting on the bleachers, someone with long brown hair and a wide smile. "Seriously?" she whined.

"What's the matter?" Ava asked, having thrown the ball back to the kids. They dashed to the other end of the field as it rolled away from them. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Not quite," she said. "Do you see that girl over there talking to Warren?" She averted her gaze so as not to draw attention to herself.

"Yeah," Ava said slowly. "What about her?"

"I keep seeing her all the time. She and Warren are almost always together, and she always smiles at me whenever I pass her; it's like she thinks I poop rainbows or something. It's weird." She glanced over again from the corner of her eye, unable to look away for long. That same dark haired boy from the other day was sauntering over to them, clapping Warren on the shoulder. The girl laughed and took his free hand as Warren turned around and blew a whistle. Before Anna could dive behind the nearest tree he spotted her, eyes widening in surprise – at least that's what it looked like.

"Look, he's seen us. Hi Warren!" Ava cried, waving her arm above her head in greeting.

"Ava, what the hell are you doing?" Anna whisper-yelled, clutching at her arm. "Don't make it obvious!"

"Make what obvious? We're just two harmless civilians enjoying the nice weather," she replied, still waving.

"Harmless, my ass," Anna grumbled. "Would you stop waving already? You look stupid."

"Your face looks stupid," Ava shot back. "I think he's trying to get your attention. Stop being so antisocial and wave at the man. You don't deny a face like that."

Resisting the temptation to do something rash – like kick Ava in the shin – she took a breath to steel her nerves and turned to look back at Warren. His brows were slightly furrowed, but his smile remained in place; when he noticed her looking at him he started waving again, his head tilting to the side as if he were trying to catch her eye.

_No. Enough with your face. I was using this outing to escape my thoughts of you, not to have you smiling and waving at me. _

Knowing that the only way out of this situation was to comply with the demands of social etiquette – whoever came up with waving could shove it – she lifted her hand and wiggled her fingers in a poor excuse for a wave. But it worked, for Warren's expression relaxed and he returned his attention to the little kids running in circles around his legs. He blew the whistle again and they went running down the field.

"God, I've never wished it was summer so much in my life," Ava said from beside her. "That man needs to take his shirt off – right now."

"Settle down, woman," Anna replied and tugged on her arm again. "Can we go now, please?"

"Fine," Ava sighed. "But you need to pull that stick out of your ass and learn to relax. You act like seeing a person outside of school is a sign of the apocalypse."

_Not everybody, _she thought bitterly. _Just him._

x-x-x

To Anna's relief, her next study session with Warren had been pushed to Tuesday rather than their usual Monday, due to a practice test he couldn't get out of. While it meant they'd have more to go over, it also gave her an extra day of peace after her surprise encounter with him over the weekend.

Ava hadn't shut up about Warren the entire way home, going on and on about his face and his smile and _good Lord imagine the abs he's hiding under that shirt. I'd bake cookies on those puppies. _It had taken every last ounce of restraint she had not to put her best friend in a headlock until she promised to stop talking. As much as she loved Ava, the girl had no concept of peace and quiet.

She could tell Ava was suspicious of her, especially after her frantic behavior at the soccer field. Whether or not she'd bring it up again was unknown, but Anna knew without a doubt that Ava would be keeping an eye on her over the next few weeks. She had the tendency to behave like an overprotective mother hen when the mood struck.

Unfortunately, Monday went faster than she would have liked and soon enough she was sitting at their usual table at the back of the library, doodling in the back pages of her notebook. TJ sat on the edge of the desk, slowly devouring a gummy worm. She was early, as usual, and seeing as TJ had a free period he had decided to keep her company until Warren arrived.

"Has anyone ever told you that you chew really loud?" she asked him, not looking away from her page.

"Never. They're too busy watching my beautiful mouth."

Anna, unable to think of something else to say, remained silent.

"Besides, I only do it around you because I know how much you hate it."

Now she looked up and slugged him in the arm. He whimpered and clutched his bicep. "Ouch! I thought you were a Hero," he complained. "They don't use their powers for evil."

"Nonsense. I acted out of concern for the greater good."

"Whose greater good?"

"Mine."

"God, women are so cruel."

"Only to you."

TJ wrinkled his nose and fished another gummy worm out of the packet on the desk. It hung halfway out of his mouth when he decided to speak. "Oh, hey Warren."

Anna's head shot up in surprise and sure enough, there was Warren on the other side of the desk. He was eyeing the gummy worm in TJ's mouth with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. "Hey, TJ. What's with the…" he trailed off, wiggling a finger near his mouth.

TJ grinned. "Just snackin', brudda. You want one?" He held the packet out, gummy worms nearly spilling out from the rip at the top.

"I won't say no," he said, plucking one of the sweets out of the packet before it could drop onto the desk. "What are you doing here?"

"Just keeping my girl company, isn't that right, Anna Banana?"

Anna glared at him playfully, twirling her pen between her fingers. He knew how much she despised that nickname, yet he still used it way too often. "At this point it's kind of unwanted company."

"Pfff, whatever. Do you see how this woman treats me, Peace? No respect." TJ shook his head in mock sadness. "How you manage to put up with her I'll never know."

Warren smiled at that, peering down at her with those deep, chocolate eyes. "It has its perks."

Anna felt her cheeks warm and quickly looked away. "Are you going to let us get to work now, TJ?" she asked, subtly clearing her tight throat.

"Yeah, I don't think so," he said and lowered himself down onto the desk until he was laying along the length of it, taking up any and all space for Warren to put his books. "You know, this is surprisingly comfortable." He shifted a little to further illustrate his point, placing the packet of gummy worms on his stomach.

"You're lucky Ms. Marshall can't see you from here," Anna laughed, pulling her notebook out from under his elbow as Warren sat down opposite her. "She'd be furious with you."

"Psh. She couldn't be angry with me even if she tried. I'm too adorable."

Anna glanced at Warren over TJ's stomach. "Was he like this with you, too?"

Warren chuckled. "Worse. God knows why we even bother to miss having him on the team."

"Because I was the best damn player that team has ever had," TJ replied without missing a beat.

"You keep telling yourself that," Warren shot back. "He was good, though," he continued, returning his gaze to Anna. "He knows there's always a place for him with us."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," TJ said, lifting an arm to clap Warren on the shoulder. "Let me know when you're playing next and I'll come watch."

"Will do, brother."

"Oh, hey, while we're on the subject of soccer," TJ propped himself up on his elbows to better look at his friends. "Anna said she saw you at the local field over the weekend."

Anna felt her stomach tighten. She had hoped TJ wouldn't bring that up, but then again she was curious as to why he had been there; she just didn't want to be reminded of how childish her behavior had been. It had seemed appropriate at the time, but whenever she reflected on it she felt sick with embarrassment.

"She did?" Warren asked, looking at her again with those stupid dark eyes. "You didn't stay very long," he said to her.

She shrugged her shoulders helplessly. "We needed to get home."

He nodded, perfectly happy to accept her weak answer. "Well, it was nice to see you either way."

"Yeah," she said softly. "You too."

_Even though I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, it was kind of nice to see you. By the way, I have no idea what I'm doing right now, but your face is pretty and I blame my ovaries for everything._

"Anyway, to answer your question, TJ, I was coaching my little league team. The new season is just starting up and they need as much practice as they can get if we want to make it to the championships this year." His smile broadened and Anna remembered the way the little kids had run in circles around him, laughing and shouting at each other.

Wait a minute.

"You're a little league coach?" she asked, hoping her shock wasn't too obvious.

Apparently it was, for Warren's expression softened. "Yeah. It started out as volunteer work when I was a sophomore, but the original coach signed me on to take over from him when he left. I've been doing it ever since."

"So _that's _why you were there."

He laughed. "What did you think I was doing?"

"I… have no idea."

TJ shook his head at her. "Honestly, woman. You need to read up on your sports. Not only is Warren a star soccer player, he could teach a potato to kick a goal."

"Are you calling me a potato?" she asked, pointing at him with her pen.

"I don't know about teaching a potato," Warren spoke up. "They don't have legs."

"Maybe not a potato, but certainly a _couch _potato. All you do is read your booksand listen to that ear torture you like to call music. It burns my soul." TJ grinned, showing those straight, blindingly white teeth of his.

"Excuse me, but my books are just fine and my taste in music is better than anything you listen to," she said sharply. "Besides, I'd probably be a better soccer player than you ever were."

"Oh, that's rich," he snickered.

"Actually, we can put this theory to the test," Warren spoke up, leaning back in his seat when they turned to look at him. "I'd be happy to give Anna a few lessons, if you're willing."

She balked. She had thought it was just friendly banter, not the beginnings of a bet. "You want to teach me how to play soccer?"

"If you're up for it," he replied, smiling calmly at her.

"And if I am?"

"Well then I'd say you start this weekend."

Anna crossed her arms over her chest, determined to prove TJ wrong. "You're on."

"Good. And be sure to bring your A-game. I fully intend to be impressed."

"Yeah, impressed by how fast she'll crash and burn – ow! Would you stop hitting me?"

"You're just asking for trouble," she warned him, sharp eyes returning to Warren's face. He looked like he was enjoying the playful nature of the conversation, and there was a dull glow in his eyes that hadn't been there before. "Is there anything I need to bring?"

"Water," Warren replied. "And be sure to dress appropriately."

"What counts as appropriate?"

"Shorts would be good."

"How short?"

"As short as you want."

"Okay!" TJ pushed up off his back and slid off the desk. "I'm leaving before one of you gets me pregnant. Enjoy your _study session_."

Warren started laughing again as TJ walked away and Anna noticed the hint of a smile on his face, as though he had just put some kind of grand plan into motion and they had absolutely no idea.

_All those gummy worms must be going to his head._

* * *

**I am completely obsessed with TJ. He's so freaking adorable.**

**It wasn't until I split this story up that I realized how big it is. Each chapter averages out at about 10k or more. No wonder it took so long to write.**

**So, what do you think so far? It was weird for me, writing a new female lead, but at the same time it was kind of refreshing to step out and try something different. Hopefully you'll grow to like her as much as I do. **

**Part Two will be up in a few days. Until then, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Any theories on who the mystery woman might be?**

**See you again soon :)**

**xx**


	2. Part Two

**Here's part two. Enjoy :)**

* * *

_I can't deny  
You've hooked me so deep again  
With your sharp and witty lines  
You have soiled my disguise  
And then the waves  
Oh, the waves they come crashing down  
When I see that look in your eyes  
When you're watching her walk by_

_If you're looking to fit in  
Then join the rest  
To know you'll only end up second best  
And they said_

_If you want to swim along the current  
Then act and speak the way we do  
You may be untrue  
But if you'd rather be us  
Then why  
Be you_

_Against The Current ~ Mree_

* * *

It had taken almost an hour of rummaging through her wardrobe, but finally Anna had been able to decide on an outfit appropriate for a soccer lesson. And, as per Warren's request, she had chosen a pair of shorts that were probably shorter than they needed to be, but oh well. What was life without a bit of fun?

She caught her reflection in the screen of her phone as she walked through the park to the soccer field and the expression on her face made her pause. She looked… happy. Excited even. She realized then that, after everything she had been through, all the times Warren had made her nervous or want to tear her own hair out, she was actually looking forward to spending a few hours with him outside of school.

To think she had thought the idea of them being friends was mad. Now they were actually taking the time to see each other even though they didn't have to.

And she was glad for it.

It was no surprise that Warren was already at the soccer field by the time she arrived, setting up what looked like a miniature obstacle course. He didn't notice her at first and she took the opportunity to admire him – _what? I'm still a woman, and we have needs – _as he worked. He was very casually dressed; shorts, cleats and a white sweatshirt with his team jacket over the top, the number 13 displayed in bold lettering on the back.

She felt a brief pang of regret as she watched him, knowing that in all her years at Sky High she'd never been to one of his games. Admittedly, back then she had no desire to watch people run around an oval chasing a ball, but the way Warren spoke of soccer made it sound like the greatest thing in the world. She resolved, then and there, that when Warren let TJ know when he was playing next, she'd accompany him to the match.

Warren looked up as she neared him, placing the last of the small cones he'd brought with him on the grass. He rose to his feet with a smile and Anna didn't miss the way his eyes raked her body from top to bottom. He raised his eyebrows when he noticed the shirt she wore. "You're a Red Sox fan?"

Anna crossed her arms over the emblem on her shirt. It bore the familiar red B and had _Boston Red Sox _printed across the chest in big white letters. "Yes."

Warren didn't say a word, but the expression on his face told her he didn't believe it for a second. It didn't take long before she crumbled like a deck of cards under a slight breeze.

"Okay, fine. It was a gift."

He laughed. "That's what I thought."

"Whatever, Peace." She wrinkled her nose at him, trying not to show how much she enjoyed the sound of his laughter. It sounded different to the way he laughed at school; it was a much freer sound out here in the sun. "Am I dressed appropriately enough for you?"

He made a show of taking in everything she had on her person, from her Nike runners to the pink water bottle she held in her right hand. As she had suspected, his eyes widened at her choice of shorts. "Um… are you sure they're shorts?" he asked.

She looked down, grimacing a little at the paleness of her legs. "Yes, they are. You said I should wear shorts and these were the only ones I had that I wouldn't mind sweating in."

Warren rubbed at the back of his neck and Anna bit back a smile. Was he nervous? "They look more like underwear to me." There was a slight flush to his cheeks that hadn't been there before. Who knew Warren couldn't handle a girl in short shorts?

"I can go back and change if you'd like?" she offered, despite having no plans to follow through if he agreed.

He lifted his chin, his eyes refocusing. He knew she was playing with him now, and he wasn't the kind of person to give in. "No. No, it's okay. I like them. Just… be careful bending over. I don't want anyone walking past to see what you had for breakfast."

Anna's mouth dropped open and Warren immediately burst into loud laughter. She briefly considered launching her water bottle at his face, but decided instead to slug him in the arm as she walked past. He whimpered and clutched his arm, if for nothing more than to make her feel as though she'd actually injured him, when in reality he'd barely felt it.

"Alright, firecracker," he said after he managed to control his laughter. "You ready for this?"

"Please. I was born ready."

"Oh, really?"

"Really."

"Okay then. Let's do this."

After a few stretches, Warren guided Anna through a series of drills and obstacles that the team usually did during their training sessions. Warren had lowered the difficulty level as best he could so that Anna didn't struggle too much and he was pleased to see that she was holding her own as he led her along – amid much complaining and trash talking.

Anna couldn't believe how much work went into being physically prepared to play soccer. She never would have thought all of this was necessary, yet she felt her muscles loosening up the further along they went, and the more she trained, the more she enjoyed it.

"See?" Warren said as they weaved through the cones he had set up earlier. "This is fun."

Anna squirted him with water from her bottle.

It took almost two hours before Warren agreed to let her near a soccer ball. He showed her how to run with it – and shook his head when she picked it up and ran to the other side of the field – and how to hold her foot when kicking or receiving the ball. TJ had told him that Anna was a fast learner and so far she'd done nothing to convince him otherwise. He enjoyed seeing this side of her; the carefree, happy-go-lucky girl he had always known she was. She was always so tense and uncomfortable at school, so it was nice to see her smiling, laughing and having fun. Jamie would be overjoyed when she found out.

He remembered hearing about Anna all the time back when TJ was on the team. He'd speak about her high grades, her sharp wit and love of books. He'd been looking forward to meeting her – and had seen her around campus with TJ and their other friend, Ava – and yet when he was first introduced to her in the library all those weeks ago, he'd been a colossal jerk. Thankfully, he'd been able to redeem himself and show her that he wasn't the idiotic brute she had no doubt thought he was.

"Hey, Warren!"

He blinked hard to clear his head and looked up to see Anna watching him with a wide grin. A few locks of her dirty blonde hair had fallen free of her ponytail and blew across her face as the wind moved through them. She brushed them away before his fingers could start twitching. "What?"

"Are you just going to stand there all day, or are we going to have an actual game? I'm feeling good. I think it's about time I kicked your butt." She cocked her hip, the soccer ball held up between it and the curve of her arm.

He laughed and gestured for her to throw him the ball. She did so, watching as he bounced it from foot to foot. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"You bet."

"Fine. Show me those mad skills, Clarke."

Anna could tell he was taking it easy on her as he chased her around the field, the ball rolling steadily ahead of her – but she wasn't about to call him out on it. If he wanted to let her win, she'd happily go along with it. Besides, who was she to say no to the bragging rights that came with beating Warren Peace at his own game?

It seemed the two of them were more interested in kicking the ball at each other than in the goals. Warren even started a running commentary as Anna tried to keep the ball moving, teasing and stealing the ball from her whenever she came near him. "Are you even going to try and score?" he asked as he held the ball up above her head, watching as she jumped for it, arms outstretched.

"I will if you give me the ball, you big jerk. I thought you weren't allowed to use your hands." She narrowed her eyes at him, dropping her hands and resting them on her hips.

"I'm the coach. I can do whatever I want."

Knowing she wouldn't be able to reach the ball any time today, Anna opted instead to shove her closed fist straight into Warren's stomach. She knew his reaction was purely for show, but she still enjoyed seeing him double over with a loud groan and a playful smile. The ball dropped out of his hand and bounced gently onto the grass; Anna immediately knocked it away from him, turned, and kicked it with all her might. They watched as it soared across the field and into the goal, stopping only when it fetched up against the white netting.

For a few seconds they stood in complete silence, staring in disbelief at the goal. Warren was smiling proudly, while Anna's eyes were wide and her mouth partially open. "Did I… did I just kick a goal?"

"You did."

A few more beats of silence. And then, "Holy crap, I kicked a goal!" She whirled around to face Warren, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Did you _see _that? I totally won that game!"

"It was one goal," he reminded her.

"Whatever, you can shut up. You're just bitter because I beat you." By this time Anna was doing some form of victory dance, wiggling on the spot and looking like she was about to break into song.

Warren rose to his full height, looking down at her with mischievous eyes. "I'll admit it was impressive, but you shouldn't go getting a big head. Surely TJ warned you about what happens to people who get cocky."

At this, Anna ceased any and all movement, peering curiously up at Warren's tanned face. "No…" she said hesitantly. "What do you do?"

He grinned. "Dog pile."

Her eyes widened and she slowly began to back away, hands raised in surrender. "No," she warned, shaking her head as he stalked after her. "No, no. Warren, I mean it." While dog piles usually involved a group of people, Warren was still big and heavy enough to do some serious squishing on his own. "No. Stop. Please."

Warren cocked his head to the side, not stopping his slow advance on her. "Better start running, little rabbit."

Not one to disobey a direct order, Anna turned away and broke into a flat out sprint. Warren gave her a few seconds head start before he took off after her, and the moment she noticed him gaining ground she turned on her heel and darted around him, squealing her head off all the while. She knew she'd never be able to outrun him and it wasn't long before she felt him right on her heels; her legs had begun to ache from the near constant movement of the last few hours and she managed one more quick direction change before Warren caught her by the waist, sending them both toppling to the ground.

Anna braced herself for impact with the earth, but it never came. Instead Warren wrapped his arms tight around her, curling one around her head to shield it from any contact with the ground. They rolled a little in the grass before coming to a stop with Anna on her back and Warren half stretched out on top of her, his arm still under her neck.

He raised his head, chest heaving with exertion and barely contained laughter, and met her eyes. "Got you," he said breathlessly.

Anna blinked up at him, looking a little dazed, but a slow smile crept across her lips and before she knew it she was giggling so hard it made her stomach hurt. Warren's low chuckle quickly followed and soon they were red faced and out of breath, the sound of their joyous laughter filling the afternoon air.

"Was that really necessary?" she asked, speaking through small bursts of unstoppable giggling.

Warren grinned. "That's what you get for kicking a goal on my turf."

"Psh. It's your own fault. You were going easy on me!"

"Would you rather I not? We could always go again."

"Hell no," she laughed. "I'm so done."

"Good," he said. "You know, you're almost good enough to join my little league team. Second string, of course."

"Gee, thanks."

"You're welcome."

Warren watched as Anna propped herself up on one elbow and struggled to remove the grass from her hair. Her nose was scrunched and her mouth had formed a tiny pucker of concentration as she fumbled around with the elastic in her hair. He would have helped, or perhaps moved out of the way, but he had found himself enamored by this tiny little creature. He had seen a completely different side of her today, and he liked it. Every little thing she did was endearing in itself, but put it all together and she was something else, something special. And he doubted she even knew it.

"I blame you for all this crap in my hair right now, Peace," she said grumpily, pulling a few blades free of her now tangled hair.

"Blame me all you want, but you completely deserved it. Now move." He gently swatted her hand away and got to work pulling the grass and small twigs from her hair. "I'll never understand how women manage to pick up half the earth whenever they lay down in the grass. It's like a forest in here."

"Har har," Anna deadpanned, her miserable expression lightening at the sound of Warren's deep chuckle.

They lay in silence as Warren removed any traces of the park from Anna's sandy hair. She took the time to admire him as he worked; he really was very handsome and not at all as horrid as she had first imagined him to be. There was still so much about him that she didn't know and she realized with a start that she wanted to. She wanted to know everything there was to know about this anomaly of a human being.

She wondered, however, if either of them was ready to let the other in.

"There," Warren said, bringing her gently from her thoughts. "All done."

"Thanks," she replied softly, overly aware of his arm under her neck and the warmth of his skin against her bare legs. "And thank you for today. I've had a lot of fun."

"It was my pleasure, but really, you have TJ to blame. He started it all."

"He really did," Anna laughed. "I'll have to buy him something."

"If I recall, he likes gummy worms."

Anna wrinkled her nose. "That boy eats way too much sugar. It's a miracle he hasn't got any cavities."

Warren smiled, watching as the breeze flicked a lock of her hair across her face. She spluttered as it whipped over her mouth before settling on the bridge of her nose. She whined and reached up to move it away, but Warren beat her to it; his fingers were warm and slightly callused as he brushed his fingertips across her forehead, catching the lock of hair from the roots and gently easing it away from her face. She felt her cheeks flush at the tenderness of the simple gesture and looked up at him shyly. He gazed back at her, his eyes two pools of molten chocolate.

The world seemed to drift away as they lay there and Anna watched in bewitched silence as Warren slowly lowered his head, until she could feel his soft breaths on her skin. His hand cupped her cheek and she felt her head tilt back - completely of its own volition. She could almost feel the air rippling as Warren swallowed heavily, the tips of their noses touching as he came closer, closer, closer…

And then a high pitched shriek shattered the bubble they had unknowingly huddled into. Warren jerked back with a start, his eyes flying in all directions in search of the person who had supplied such a jarring sound. Anna blinked rapidly, pushing up onto her elbows as Warren moved so that he was kneeling, his eyes on a small child chasing after a golden retriever – no doubt, the family pet. The boy squealed again and Warren let out a breathless groan, rubbing at his jaw with long fingers.

Despite herself, Anna let out another small giggle, realizing what that little boy had just interrupted. Whether it was a good thing or not, she wasn't sure. "Well," she began, smoothing the wrinkles out of her shirt. "I suppose I'd better head home. Something tells me I'm going to be mighty sore in the morning."

Warren glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, a strange quirk to the set of his mouth. "Good idea. I suggest taking a bath before you go to bed. It'll help relax your muscles."

"Noted." It must have been later in the afternoon than she'd thought, for the sky was slowly starting to turn a light shade of orange. Where had the time gone? "Do you need any help packing up?"

He shook his head. "Nah. I'll be fine. You go home and get some rest."

She smiled and slowly got to her feet, already feeling the stiffness in her muscles. "I guess I'll, um… see you at school?"

"Yeah." He gave her a small smile in return and gently tugged on a lock of her hair. "See you later."

x-x-x

Anna had taken a bath later that night, just as Warren had suggested, and sure enough, she felt worlds better than she had an hour before. Her parents had found it hilarious when she'd come hobbling through the door, requesting pillows and painkillers. She was being dramatic, of course, but that didn't mean she wasn't sore.

Now it was almost eight in the evening and she was lounging around in her room. Dressed in a pair of white, silk-satin pajamas, a dark blue kimono and her favourite pair of fluffy bunny slippers, she was a picture of the utmost relaxation as she sipped at her tea and browsed the internet on her laptop, all while sitting cross-legged on her bed.

She had just logged into her Facebook account when her phone began vibrating on her bedside table. She frowned and lowered the volume of her music – _Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want _by The Smiths – before retrieving her phone. Ava's name flashed on the screen and any frustration at having her relaxation time interrupted flew out the window. She quickly pressed the answer button and raised the phone to her ear. "Hey, Ava."

"Hola," said Ava from the other end of the line. "How was your _soccer lesson_?"

"Please don't start with the innuendo," Anna pleaded. "You're as bad as TJ. And it was fine, thank you."

"Good. You sore?"

"Horribly."

"Atta girl."

"Why did you call me, Ava? I was enjoying some quiet time."

Ava sniffed. "Rude. I'm calling about something important, if Your Majesty would take the time to listen."

Anna smiled and took another sip of her tea. "Go on."

"Okay. Remember that girl we saw with Warren last weekend, and how you said you kept seeing her everywhere?"

"Yeah," Anna replied, tentatively drawing out the word. She hadn't thought of that girl in days. "What about her?"

"Well, I started thinking about it this afternoon and decided to do some digging, because god knows you're too lazy to do it yourself."

"It's true. What did you find?"

"Quite a bit, actually. Do you have an old yearbook nearby?"

She quickly scanned her room before sliding off her bed to check her desk drawers. Sure enough, her yearbook from last year was buried under some of her notebooks. "Got one," she said, the phone squished between her cheek and shoulder as she rummaged around. She settled back on her bed and flipped it open to the student photos. "What page is she on?"

"Um… forty-nine."

Anna quickly flipped to the appropriate page and searched the faces printed there. Sure enough, she was there. "Jamie Stronghold," she said quietly.

"Ah, you found her?"

"Yep." She looked a little younger, but you couldn't forget those bright blue eyes. "Stronghold, Stronghold. Where have I heard that name before?"

"She's Will Stronghold's twin sister. You know, offspring of The Commander and Jetstream?"

"Oh, right." Unsurprisingly, the picture next to Jamie's was of her brother, Will. He had the same striking blue eyes and dark brown hair; they looked similar in the face, but not overly so. "That still doesn't explain why she's around Warren all the time."

"Of course not. That's where my digging comes in." Ava knew she had Anna in the palm of her hand and she was determined to make the most of it. "Apparently, she and Warren used to date."

Anna had suspected such a thing, of course, after seeing how they acted around each other, but it still came as a surprise. "I thought their parents were arch enemies."

"Yes. _Were _being the operative word. Jamie and Warren hooking up helped their parents bridge the gap – not between Steve and Baron, because Baron is in jail, but his mom and Jamie's apparently get along like a house on fire. I'm sorry, was that a bad pun?"

"Terrible. Continue."

"Anyway, Jamie and Warren started dating in freshman year and stayed together up until the start of last year when they decided to break it off. Now Jamie's dating Zane Morgenstern, the other guy we saw."

Anna remembered him; pale skin and jet black hair. "Do you know why they called it off?"

"No clue. But apparently they're still really good friends, so whatever the reason, I doubt it stemmed from any sort of animosity between them. Even Warren and Zane are best pals."

"Huh. Is that everything?"

"Pretty much," Ava said. "There's nothing fishy about Jamie: crazy powerful, funny, good grades. Kind of like you. And she's a senior this year, too."

"What kind of power does she have?" Anna wondered if she sounded as curious as she felt. Now that she knew who the woman was, she wanted to know everything about her.

"Some kind of alter-ego thing. You've seen her fight in Save the Citizen; she turns into either an angel or a demon-thing. I don't know, it's too confusing."

"I remember." She recalled seeing the twins fight in P.E a few months back, and how Jamie's wings had stretched open like a birds. "So, how long has she been with Zane?"

"Almost two years," Ava replied. "And still going strong. Unfortunately, though, that's all I have."

"It's more than I expected to hear," Anna said, scrolling absentmindedly through her Facebook timeline. "Thanks."

"No problem. So, how are things with you and Hothead these days, anyway?"

Anna thought of the way he'd brushed her hair from her face this afternoon, and how warm his skin had been pressed against hers. She shivered. "Things are good. I don't know, Ava… something's changing, and I don't know what to do with it."

"What do you mean?" Ava went from gossip girl to mother hen in an instant, all concern and affection for her friend. "Do you like him?"

"I don't know… maybe? Something happened between us today, but maybe I'm reading too much into it. Maybe he doesn't like me, or maybe he just thinks of me as a friend and I'm being stupid. Ugh."

"You say maybe too much," Ava pointed out. "Personally, I think you need to stop over thinking it. Whatever is going on between you will figure itself out. Just go with the flow, honey."

x-x-x

"So you already knew about her?"

"Sure did."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"You didn't ask."

Anna sighed and bumped TJ's shoulder with her own as they crossed the grounds to Sky High's front steps, having just stepped off their bus. It had occurred to her on the way to school that morning that if anyone was going to have the inside scoop on Jamie, it would be TJ, seeing as she dated his best friend.

"I don't see why you're so intent on finding out everything you can about her," he said, quirking his brow at her when she looked up at him.

"I'm not."

"Liar."

She frowned. "Well, I don't mean to be. I'm just curious is all."

TJ draped his arm over her shoulders. "I understand. Really, there's not much more I can tell you about her, apart from what you already found out from Ava. She got that information from me, I'll have you know."

"I figured as much. You were friends with her?"

"I still am. She's a great girl, Anna. I don't know what you're expecting to hear; do you want her to be a closet bitch or something?"

"No!" Anna shook her head vehemently. "She just seems to be someone Warren cares about very much… and… what's important to him…"

"Is important to you," TJ finished for her, his eyes tender. "When did this start?"

"I have no idea, but it's not going away."

"You like him, don't you?" TJ smiled, tickling Anna's neck with his fingertips.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Anna deadpanned.

In all honesty, she didn't know how she felt about him. A few weeks ago she couldn't stand him, and now? Now that dynamic had shifted and she enjoyed his company, his smile, the way he looked at her. And she didn't know what to do with that knowledge. She resolved to take Ava's advice and not over think it. In the meantime, she needed to focus on Warren's grades – which were rapidly improving.

"Look," TJ began, his voice quiet. Anna refocused on him, realizing that he was about to tell her something important. "Jamie was really good for him. Warren was in a bad place when he first started here and she pulled him out of it and taught him to be happy. Even if the relationship ended, you don't forget something like that."

Anna nodded thoughtfully and was about to speak again when Ava appeared out of nowhere, sipping from a Starbucks cup. "Good morning, my darlings," she chirped. "How are we today?"

"Sore," Anna replied with a grin.

TJ snickered. "And you used to tease me when I complained about being sore after soccer practice. Karma always bites you in the ass, little one."

"I'm not surprised, because my ass is sore, too." Anna made a show of rubbing her rear end with a pained look on her face, delighting in the sound of her friend's laughter.

"And that is why I don't play sports," Ava said matter-of-factly, pointing at Anna with her pinky finger. "I'll stick to my yoga and dancing, thank you very much. I'm still determined to get you doing yoga, Anna."

Anna wrinkled her nose. "Good luck with that, shortcake."

"It's bad enough that it's Monday, but now you're busting out the short jokes? You're one cruel mistress, Anna Clarke."

They were half way up the front steps when TJ stopped walking, his hand raised in a lazy wave. "Hey, man."

Anna paused mid-step and looked back over her shoulder to investigate, spotting Warren jogging up the steps to join them. His hair was pulled back with the usual leather strap, revealing his high cheekbones to the morning sun. "Hey," Warren replied, clapping TJ on the shoulder when he was within reach. "I was hoping to catch you this morning. Hi girls," he added with a friendly smile. Ava wiggled her fingers at him.

"What's up?" TJ asked.

"I just wanted to let you know that we've got a match this Thursday if you want to come along." He looked over TJ's shoulder at Anna and Ava. "You two are more than welcome as well."

"I'd love to come," Ava replied happily. "What time is it?"

"It starts at five, but most people get there about a half hour beforehand."

"Awesome. See you then."

TJ turned and met Anna's gaze, his pale eyes challenging her. "What about you, Anna?"

She swallowed heavily, realizing that this choice would shift the dynamic even further. However, she had promised herself that she'd go if given the chance and she wasn't about to back down now. "I'll be there."

As promised, Anna arrived at the designated soccer field at four thirty on the dot the following Thursday. They didn't play at the local grounds like most teams; seeing as it was a bunch of super powered teens all gathered in one place, they usually chose soccer fields out of the public eye, so as not to arouse suspicion if someone happened to start flying or accidentally set the ball on fire.

Unsure of what to wear to such an occasion, Anna had dressed simply but efficiently. There was a slight chill in the air, so she opted for a soft, pale sweater, grey scarf, jeans and her usual riding boots and trench coat. Her satchel was strapped over her shoulder and a small cameo ring glinted on her finger.

She had known that soccer was big at Sky High, but she hadn't been prepared for the massive turnout of students from both her school and the opposing teams'. Some wore their school colors and others had brightly colored face paint on their cheeks and arms. She even saw a few people dressed up as the team mascots.

_I thought they only did that in movies and TV shows, _she mused as she made her way to the bleachers. _I guess not._

"Anna!" Ava shot to her feet as Anna rounded the bleachers and started climbing the steps. "You made it!"

Anna smiled and carefully scooted past the people already seated until she reached Ava and TJ, who had kindly saved her a spot. "Hey guys. What'd I miss?"

"Well, TJ's already eaten two hotdogs and one of the mascots tripped over his own feet, but apart from that? Nothing." Ava shifted over, revealing the free space between TJ and herself. Anna sat down gratefully, leaning into TJ's side in greeting.

"I'm glad you decided to show up," he said quietly. "Warren will be happy to see you."

"Yeah, yeah. None of that tonight, mister. I'm here to have fun."

And have fun they did. It wasn't long before Anna started questioning her decision to skip out on any and all sporting events; the atmosphere was electric and impossible to ignore. It was no surprise that Warren and his team were completely dominating the game, and soon enough Anna was cheering with the rest of the crowd – she even participated in a Wave, much to TJ's delight. While she had practiced with Warren the weekend before, she was still a little unclear on the rules and regulations, so TJ took it upon himself to explain the game as it went along.

By half time the Sky High Knights were ahead by six and it wasn't hard to guess that they had the match in the bag. Still, TJ reminded her that the game was not yet over and the other team could make a startling comeback – although even he doubted it. When Warren was at his best, no one stood a chance against him.

Anna knew that it was no word of a lie. She had been well aware of the fact that he had been taking it easy on her last week, but she hadn't imagined the level of skill and pure talent he possessed. She could tell that he took his role as captain very seriously; whatever plans he had made prior to the game, his teammates carried them out effortlessly. They worked as one and whenever someone scored a goal they would come together in celebration, ruffling hair and cheering happily. While each player had their own strengths, Warren outshone them all. _Thank God I didn't challenge him to a proper match, _Anna thought, watching as Warren kicked his third goal of the evening. _I wouldn't stand a chance. _He was focused and unforgiving – and she was hypnotized by him.

The two teams went back to their benches for some well earned rest during half time, amid much cheering and encouragement from the spectators. Realizing she had some free time before the second half of the game Anna took the chance to stretch her legs, making her way down the steps to the thin guard rail on the concrete landing. TJ followed her, deviating from her path in search of another hot dog, leaving her to take in the now dark sky, littered with stars.

"Enjoying the game?"

Anna started at the new, unfamiliar voice, her head whipping to the side in search of the source. A girl stood beside her, forearms resting on the metal railing Anna was currently leaning against. It took a moment before her brain was able to connect the long, wavy brown hair and blue eyes with the face she had seen in her yearbook.

This was Jamie Stronghold.

She was aware that Jamie had asked her a question and yet she remained silent, eyes wide in what felt a lot like panic. _Say something. You look like a moron. _

"Y-yeah," she stuttered, clenching her fingers around the metal bar. The coldness of it sank through her skin, clearing her head. "It's my first one, actually."

"Really?" Jamie looked pleasantly surprised by the news. "Well, you picked a great game to start with. They're dominating tonight." She turned to face her fully, hand outstretched. "Sorry, I totally forgot. I'm Jamie."

Anna placed her hand in Jamie's and gripped it gently. "I'm Anna," she replied.

"I know," Jamie said sheepishly. "Warren talks about you all the time."

Of all the things Jamie could have said, Anna hadn't been expecting that. "He does?"

"Well, yeah. He told me that you're tutoring him in History."

"Oh. Right." She had forgotten that other people knew about that. It seemed almost special now, the time she spent with him each week. After all, it was what brought them together. "Yeah, I am. He's doing really well."

Jamie smiled and leaned her torso against the rail, looking out over the field and the recovering players in their groups. Anna took this small moment of peace to get a better look at the girl beside her; Jamie was tall and slender with soft, sun kissed skin that was barely sprinkled with dark brown freckles. From what Ava had told her, Anna imagined that Jamie would be dressed very elegantly, but in reality she looked just like everyone else. Dark blue jeans, black combat boots, a navy blue shirt – that looked a lot like cashmere – with a black leather jacket over the top. Anna couldn't help but notice that it looked like a man's jacket, but she didn't mention it, just in case she was wrong. Jamie had her hair down and it fell in thick waves down her back, slightly covered by the black wool beanie she wore atop her head. She didn't have much, if any, makeup on, but she didn't need it. Jamie Stronghold was beautiful, and Anna felt inadequate in comparison.

"Do you come to all of Warren's games?" Anna asked, feeling the need to break the silence. It wasn't awkward by any means, but the air between them buzzed with things unsaid.

Jamie nodded. "Certainly do. I love watching him play."

"He's really something," Anna agreed.

"He doesn't talk about it much, but he's hoping for a soccer scholarship," Jamie said. "I think he has every chance, but he's worried he doesn't have what it takes."

"Are you kidding me?" Anna exclaimed, her startled cry lost in the sea of overlapping voices around them. "He's amazing! He should have his pick of any school in the country, on a full scholarship. They'd be lucky to have him."

Jamie didn't say anything at first, but when she did, her voice was gentle. "You have a lot of faith in him," she said quietly.

"Of course I do," Anna replied earnestly. "I've seen his talent, both in academics and sport. He has so much potential, he just needs to be brave enough to harness it."

"He's had a lot of demons to fight," Jamie said. "He was so lost when I first met him, so angry at the world. He thought he was going to end up like his father and he'd resigned himself to that fate, but I knew he was better than that. And so do you."

Anna smiled a little, although her stomach was twisting. How had a lighthearted conversation changed course so quickly? "Isn't this weird for you?"

Jamie blinked, her eyes lightening. Up close, Anna saw that the blue was interlaced with flecks of gold and black. "What do you mean?"

"You and Warren used to date, and now I'm…" she trailed off, unsure of how to finish that sentence.

"Confused?" Jamie supplied.

Anna shrugged dejectedly. "Yeah. Confused."

Jamie laughed and the sound was husky and warm. "You look the way I did when I first realized I had feelings for Warren," she said. "He was the son of my dad's arch enemy, and therefore off limits. I didn't know what to do with myself, or how to act around him. I was over thinking everything and just completely torturing myself."

Anna didn't dare mention how accurate she was. "What did you do?" she asked instead.

"I followed my heart. In the end I realized that I had my own life to live and what happened between our parents had nothing to do with us. I loved him and he loved me, and that was enough." Jamie smiled, the curve of her lips laced with nostalgia.

They were silent then, Jamie huddling further into her jacket as Anna tried to take in all she had been told so far. It was almost like Jamie knew she needed to have this conversation, to tell Anna the things she had been longing to hear.

"For what it's worth," Jamie began as the teams wandered back out onto the field. "I've never seen Warren look at anyone the way he looks at you."

Anna's eyebrows drew together in confusion as she followed Jamie's gaze to where Warren led his team out to center field. As if he felt their eyes on him, Warren turned toward the crowd and spotted them watching him; keeping in mind what Jamie had said, she watched as Warren's expression brightened and he raised his hand to wave at them. Jamie waved back happily, while Anna managed only a smile. "I don't see it," she said when he turned away. "He always looks at me like that."

Jamie peered at her from the corner of her eye. "You may not see it, but I guarantee the rest of the world does," she teased.

"Are you calling me ignorant?" Anna shot back. She had just met this girl and yet it was so easy to joke with her. Perhaps she had found a kindred spirit in Jamie Stronghold.

"No, I'm calling you blind."

Anna tried to look angry, but it wasn't long before she started laughing, her cheeks aching from the wide grin on her lips. "Oh, I like you."

"I'm glad," Jamie said with another bright smile.

They lapsed into another companionable silence, watching as the second half of the game began. Anna never lost sight of Warren as he dodged and weaved through the other bodies around him, guiding and encouraging his team to their eventual win. And yet, there was still something Anna was dying to know.

"If you don't mind me asking," she began tentatively. "How come you and Warren broke up?"

Jamie looked away from the field, brushing her dark hair away from her eyes. She didn't seem surprised by the question. "I think we just… outgrew each other," she said. "That's not to say we were unhappy, because we weren't. Those few years were some of the best of my life and I don't regret them one bit. Warren and I learned so much from each other, and being together shaped us into the people we are now. But, the older we got, the more we realized that we'd gained everything we could out of the relationship and we'd never be more than we were."

"So there were no hard feelings or anything?" Anna asked, completely immersed in the story.

"No, not at all. It was a mutual decision. We'd had our time together and we were ready to take on the world in our own way and do what we wanted to do. We knew we'd never be more than high school sweethearts, and we were okay with that. I'll always love him, but I think breaking up was the best decision we ever made. If we had stayed together, I think the relationship would have crashed and burned after a while. Call me crazy, but I think fate brought us together back then. We needed each other, and once we'd gained all that we could, we knew it was time to move on."

Anna nodded, feeling her eyes sting with the threat of tears. Sometimes being a romantic was a real pain in the ass. "And now you have Zane," she said, clearing her throat of any tightness that lingered.

"Yeah, I do," Jamie replied, a brilliant smile lighting her face. "Apart from Warren, Zane's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"I'm really happy for you, Jamie," Anna said.

Jamie put a hand on Anna's shoulder. "Thanks, sweetie. I know you'll be happy, too."

Anna was about to ask her what she meant when a tall, handsome male stepped up beside them, all black hair, pale skin and striking silver eyes. "Evening ladies," he said.

Jamie grinned and shared a glance with Anna. "His ears must have been burning," she said in a stage-whisper, the sound morphing into high giggles when Zane pulled her beanie down over her eyes.

"Don't mind her," he said. "I'm Zane. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"I'm Anna, and the pleasure is all mine," she replied. She noticed that he had a small metal ring in his lower lip and tried hard not to stare at it. She had a thing for piercings and Ava constantly teased her about it.

Zane dipped his head respectfully before turning his gaze to Jamie, who had removed the beanie from her eyes and was now trying to fix her hair. "In all honesty, I only came down to see if you wanted anything from the concession stand."

Jamie lowered her hands, catching one of Zane's and twining their fingers together. "Did Will get through his nachos already?"

"I don't see why you look surprised," Zane chuckled.

"Fair point. Now that I think about it, a hot chocolate would be absolutely lovely."

Anna felt a soft warmth in her chest from watching them together. They really did look perfect together, and she was sure that they knew it. Glancing past them, she scoured the crowds for Will and spotted him a few rows behind TJ and Ava; he sat beside a pretty redheaded girl who was deep in conversation with a girl Anna recognized as Dana Alexander, Alec's girlfriend – unsurprisingly, Alec sat beside her. There were other people there that she didn't know, but it was easy to see that all ran in the same friendship and social circles.

She looked back at the couple conversing beside her and realized that there was something odd about them, something she hadn't noticed before. "Hey," she said, interrupting what had now turned into playful banter. "Are… are you guys dressed the same?"

Zane looked down at his clothes while Jamie burst into loud laughter. "I told you someone would notice!" she giggled, nudging his shoulder with her own before returning her gaze to Anna. "It was a total coincidence, but neither of us wanted to change into something else. This is actually Zane's jacket, but it looks better on me."

Anna snickered, glad to know her observation was correct. They looked awfully cute together in their matching clothes – dark jeans, black boots, navy shirts and fancy black coats. How often did a couple dress the same without planning it out first? Obviously they were meant to be.

"Well," Jamie began, still giggling to herself. "I suppose I should get back to my seat before I miss the rest of the game. It was wonderful to finally meet you."

Anna smiled politely. "Yeah, you too. We'll have to hang out again sometime."

"Absolutely." She and Zane started walking away before she paused to look over her shoulder. "Oh, and Anna?"

"Hmm?"

Jamie's eyes grew soft. "Think about what I said."

Anna blinked in surprise, managing only a nod in response.

"Good girl. Oh, and I love your hair, by the way. Very cute." And with that, Jamie Stronghold and Zane Morgenstern vanished into the bustling crowd, leaving Anna feeling rather dazed. She gingerly touched her braided hair - twisted and pinned back – and felt a soft smile pull at her lips as she turned to walk back up the bleachers.

x-x-x

In the weeks that followed, Anna attended every single one of Warren's games. She even started to dress in team colors. At the end of each game she would go down onto the field with TJ to tell Warren how well he played. She had even been spending more time with Jamie, the two going shopping with Ava on the weekends – who complained when they spent too much time at the bookstore. There was absolutely no awkwardness between the two girls, which made for a nice, easy friendship. Jamie was also the one person Anna could speak freely to about Warren.

He was now breezing through every quiz she gave him and she had heard from Ms. Whittaker that his grades were improving in all his other classes. The teacher said it was all because of Anna, but she knew that it was Warren who had made the change. He had always been smart – he just didn't realize it.

And now he was mere days away from one of the biggest exams of the year and while Anna knew he'd be fine, he'd asked for one last study session; just to make sure he was truly ready. Their regular sessions had now come to an end, so it was up to them to organize any other meetings. Seeing as they were both studying for exams and with their allocated time gone during the day, they had decided to meet up at Warren's house one evening for some last minute cramming.

Anna would be lying if she said she wasn't intimidated by the idea of going to Warren's house. Sure, they were friends, but to see into his home, and for him to trust her enough to let her visit, was kind of huge. To her at least.

She felt like they had been walking on eggshells around each other lately. Not in an overly awkward way, more of an I-don't-know-what-I'm-feeling-so-I'm-going-to-pret end-it's-nothing-and-see-how-it-goes sort of way. Anna was well aware that she felt something for him, but with those feelings came a great deal of fear. She had dated before, of course, but never someone like this and she wasn't sure if she was ready for it. Besides, she didn't know how Warren felt about her; for all she knew he might just consider her a friend and then there would be no point to all this thinking.

And was it really worth feeling all this? They were graduating in a few months and then she'd be going off to college and he'd be doing whatever it was he wanted to do – play soccer somewhere, obviously. So what was the point of starting something that would end before they could give it a chance? And then there was Jamie, who was so kind and beautiful and meant the world to Warren. How could she come between that, despite what she had been told?

Ugh. All this worrying was for nothing. She didn't understand what she was feeling – it was probably just some silly high school infatuation. It would fade soon and she'd be able to get on with her life. Her stomach twisted at the thought of being anywhere Warren wasn't and she quickly squished the sensation, determined not to let her emotions get the better of her. Not now. She couldn't.

No matter how much she wanted it.

Those troubling thoughts followed her all the way to Warren's house, creating a thickness in her throat as she parked on the curb outside the beautiful, two story house. She let the welcoming building calm her overactive imagination as she locked her car and made her way up the front path; it was all stained dark wood with a charming front porch and a bright, flourishing garden out the front. The flowers that braved the winter air smelled divine and she breathed in deep as she jogged up the front steps and gently rapped on the heavy oak door.

Apparently Warren's mother was out for the night, having dinner with some of her friends in the city to celebrate the opening of her first art gallery later in the year, so it would just be them tonight. Alone. In a big, beautiful house.

_Stop it, Anna. You're getting in over your head. It's just a study date. Study. Study, study, study._

The sound of trudging footsteps reached her ears and she had enough time to take a quick step back before the door swung open to reveal a slightly disheveled looking Warren on the other side. "Hey," he said cheerfully. "You made it."

"Yep," Anna chirped, cringing at the frantic, high tone of her voice. "And I didn't get lost."

"You used the GPS on your phone, didn't you?"

"…No."

"Liar."

"Whatever, are you going to let me in or not?" This came easy to them, the teasing battle of wits, the constant back and forth of innuendo and dry humor. She enjoyed this part of their friendship; everything else was too damn complicated.

Warren pulled a face at her, but did as she asked and stepped aside to allow her passage. "Come on in, pest."

She smirked at him, ducking under his arm and wandering down the entrance hall into a large, open indoor area. "Wow," she breathed. "This is gorgeous."

The interior of the house was the complete opposite to what she had seen outside. Where the exterior was dark and warm, the inside was light and uplifting, painted in soft, gentle colors with several pieces of artwork hanging on the walls; some paintings, others photographs. She wondered how many of them were Michelle's work.

"I'm glad you like it," Warren replied. "Mom renovated the whole house a few years ago. Everything is her design." He sounded proud of his mother and Anna smiled at him, feeling this charming house lifting her spirits.

"She's amazing."

"Yeah, she is," he said and for a split second she wasn't sure who he was talking about anymore.

"So!" Anna chimed, clapping her hands together. "Shall we get on with it?"

"Sure. Follow me," he said and led her up the set of stairs off to the side. The second story of the house was just as nice as the first, the high windows allowing for a clear view of the large, exotic looking backyard. "By the way, since when do you like The Ramones?"

"Since forever," she shot back, glancing down at the white shirt she wore, visible between the open flaps of her trench coat. You could see the band's emblem printed on the pale fabric. "You just never bothered to ask until today."

He grunted, leading her down the hall and into what she could only assume was his bedroom. She had wondered what his room looked like and what she got was nothing like she had imagined. It was a large room with almost an entire wall hidden behind a large bookshelf; a dark wood desk was off to the side and several paintings and photos adorned his walls. She even spotted a few pictures of Jamie scattered about, including one of him, Jamie, Will and several other people huddled together in the sand at the beach, all bright smiles and long-lasting friendship. While the sight made her happy it also made her chest squeeze with some unknown heartbreak. She didn't even bother trying to understand it.

Instead of heading to the desk like she had thought, Warren made his way over to the double bed against the far wall. She could see various textbooks scattered across the covers and tentatively made her way over to join him. "We're studying on your bed?" she asked. She didn't know why she was so intimidated; she studied on her bed all the time. Maybe it was because she wasn't alone this time.

"Of course. If my brain is going to be crammed full of nonsense, I may as well be comfortable."

"Pff. Nonsense," she teased, sitting down on the mattress beside him. _Holy crap, this is one comfy bed. _"Just for that, we're starting with the hard stuff."

"You're a jerk."

"I know. Now be quiet and pay attention."

After Anna had explained all that she needed to, the unlikely pair fell into a calm, companionable silence; broken only by the sound of rain as it began to fall out in the street. Every so often one of them would talk to either ask a question or remark about something unimportant before getting back to their work. It was easy and enjoyable and nothing like the way they had started out.

Those memories made her smile. Warren had been so stubborn, so unwilling to learn. Now he was breezing through his classes and genuinely seemed to enjoy their study sessions – which were unfortunately no longer routine. Although she knew she had helped him in some way, he had had no problem at all learning the material she gave him and even seemed to know some of it already, which begged the question –

"Hey, how come you needed tutoring in the first place?"

The scratching of Warren's pen fell silent as he stopped to look up at her. He shrugged. "You know why."

"No, I don't," she replied. "You're good at this stuff, Warren. You don't need my help, so why were you put down for tutoring? When we first met you told me you simply weren't trying, but I know that's not true. I have never seen anyone so immersed in their studies before, never seen anyone try as hard as you. What was the problem?"

He sighed. "You're not going to give up on this, are you?"

She simply raised her eyebrows in an expression that clearly said: _do I look like I'm going to give up on this?_

"Fine," he grumbled. "I was signed up for tutoring because I didn't have time to study. Between coaching my little league team, taking on extra shifts at work _and _helping mom out at home wherever I could, I had little to no time at all for homework, and any assignments I got were either handed in late or not at all. This was my last chance to have any hope of graduating."

Anna let out a low breath, suddenly feeling very guilty for the way she had treated him back then. But how was she to know that he was so stressed out? "For what it's worth, I think you'll graduate at the top of your class," she said, giving him a gentle smile.

He smiled back at her. "I have you to thank for that. Without you, I wouldn't have had a chance. You really saved my ass."

"Please. You did it all on your own."

Warren chuckled to himself and went back to his work, unaware of the way Anna watched him with soft, caring eyes. Or so she thought.

As Warren flipped a page of his textbook, Anna's gaze zeroed in on the thick silver ring on one of his long fingers – it was the only piece of jewelry Anna had ever seen him wear, which made her wonder if there was some sort of significance to it.

"What are you staring at?"

She jumped at the suddenness of Warren's voice, a hand flying to her throat in surprise. Warren stared at her, one eyebrow raised, the corner of his mouth lifted in the hint of a smile. "Um… I was looking at your ring."

Warren glanced down at the ring with patient eyes, flexing his fingers lazily. "What about it?"

"I've been wondering why you wear it all the time. Was it a gift?"

He shrugged again. "Yes and no. It used to belong to my dad."

Anna blinked. Warren never spoke about his father. "How did you end up with it?"

He sat up straighter, pushing the fingers of his other hand into his hair. "Uh, my mom found it when she was going through a heap of my dad's old things. She got rid of most of it not long after he was sent to prison, but there were a few little mementos she kept. Anyway, she thought I'd like to have it, so she gave it to me."

"And that was it?"

"No," he replied softly. This was the first time Warren had ever really opened up to her, and about his father no less. She felt honored that he would share this story with her, yet she worried she was bringing up painful memories for him. "For years I refused to wear it. It just sat in my desk drawer, gathering dust – until Jamie dug it up one day."

Anna remembered Jamie telling her about all the personal demons Warren had fought while they were together. Perhaps this had been one of them. "What did she do with it?"

Warren let out a soft, nostalgic laugh. "What she always did. She made me face it. She put it in my hand and asked why I didn't wear it and listened to me when I told her about how angry I was; how I didn't want anything to do with my father. And when I was done, she slipped it onto my finger and smiled at me. I still remember what she said that day. She said: don't see it as a symbol of your past. See it as a beacon for your future. See it as a promise to yourself, a promise that you'll be your own person and not let yourself be held back by your father's mistakes." He smiled down at the unassuming ring, glowing faintly from the overhead light. "She told me to wear it until I saw only good things when I looked at it."

"And do you?" she asked in a whisper. "See good things?"

Warren looked up at her, his dark eyes full of something she couldn't name, but fully understood. Without a word, he lifted his hand and cupped her cheek, the cool metal of his ring branding ice into her skin. "Yeah," he breathed. "I do. I see beautiful things."

Anna swallowed heavily as they slowly began to lean into each other. There would be no interruptions this time, nothing to hold them back, no chance to back out, to second guess. No time at all. And yet there was something she had to say. "Warren," she said, feeling his thumb rubbing soft circles into her cheek. Her eyes had almost completely shut, but she could feel him there, so close that it made her skin prickle with goose bumps.

"What?" His breath ghosted over her lips and she felt his nose rub against hers.

"You are nothing like your father."

He didn't say anything, but he didn't have to. Anna felt his fingers tremble against her skin, felt his other hand on the back of her head, the heat of his flesh warming her all over. His breath hitched in the air between them and then he was kissing her, his lips soft and full and perfect.

At first, Anna was frozen, completely taken by the sensation, the reality of what she had wanted for months, yet had been unwilling to admit. Then slowly she began to relax and soon she was kissing him back and the soft embers blossomed into a raging inferno. Lips parted and tongues met for the first time, twisting and curling as hands grasped and pulled, desperately seeking the closeness they both desired. Anna's head spun as Warren took her bottom lip between his, gently sucking on the rosy flesh. He didn't complain when she all but shoved her hands into his hair, feeling the soft, dark strands slipping between her fingers.

It wasn't long before everything began to blur together. One moment Anna was on the bed and the next she was straddling Warren's hips, the sound of textbooks and stationary tumbling to the floor a distant sound in the back of her mind. Her trench coat soon joined the inanimate objects on the ground and then his hands were under her shirt and gliding over the pale skin of her back; she groaned into his mouth and leaned into him, hooking an arm around his neck as her other hand struggled to find the hem of his t-shirt. She couldn't remember whether or not she was successful in her search, but eventually Warren's shirt was gone and she was taking in the smooth, tanned skin of his chest and abdomen, lightly sprinkled with hair that tickled her fingertips as she explored the new flesh.

"You're so beautiful," she whispered against his lips, her eyes rolling back at the feel of Warren's hand rubbing up and down her spine. His fingertips were rough and callused, sending shivers vibrating through her entire body as they ghosted over her hypersensitive skin, following the dips and curves of her back. His thumb rubbed over the hem of her jeans, dipping teasingly beneath the denim as they all but devoured each other.

Warren let out a strangled sound into Anna's mouth and pulled her further into his lap, arching up into her as she dug her nails into the backs of his shoulders. He didn't care if she left marks; he wanted to remember this and would proudly bear any scars she gave him. Feeling her tiny body encased in his arms was beyond comprehension, the way she moved and responded to him making his stomach clench. He wanted to dig his fingers into her hair, feel the fullness of the dirty blonde locks, but they were pulled back into a tight braid, so he settled for caressing every bit of flesh he could reach. She was so smooth, so soft. God, how he wanted her.

"Anna," he groaned, kissing his way down her cheek to her neck. He could feel her pulse against his lips, heavy and frantic. It was a heady sensation.

Instead of fueling her desire, the sound of Warren's voice had snapped Anna back into reality, sending her crashing down to earth. What the hell was she doing? Warren was her friend! She was meant to be helping him, not making out with him on his bed in the middle of an empty house. The feel of his lips on her neck was like a white hot branding iron against her skin, each kiss like a sharp sting, bringing back all her fears and doubts.

She shouldn't be doing this. She didn't want to hurt him by starting something that wouldn't last and would only end up hurting them both. How could she lead him on like this? She didn't understand her feelings or what she wanted from him. She only knew that she wanted to keep kissing him, which meant she had to get away.

And so, with every ounce of strength she had left, Anna pushed hard on Warren's shoulders to move him away; but he was much stronger than her and mistook the pressure for encouragement, moving back up to kiss her full on the mouth. She almost gave in at the sensation, but the moment she closed her eyes her stomach rolled and her blood turned to ice. In that instant any affection or desire she felt for him turned to terror and she struggled back with an anguished cry. "No, no," she whimpered, pushing on his shoulders in a desperate attempt to escape. "Let go, let me go!"

Startled, Warren lost his grip on her and she tumbled to the floor. Her head spun and she struggled through the dizziness for her coat, rising up onto shaky legs once it was firmly in her grip. "Anna?" Warren sat on the bed, bleary eyed and flushed from head to toe. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I-I have to get out of here," she said through a tight throat, grabbing her satchel from the bed and picking up her discarded stationary. "I can't be here. I need to go."

It was then that Warren noticed the terrified tone of her voice and sat up straight, blinking away the bliss that ran through his veins like a drug. "Go? Go where?"

"Anywhere," Anna replied, eyes wide and frantic. Warren rose from the bed and went to comfort her, but she shrank back, holding out an arm to stop him. "Don't! Don't come near me. You need to stay away."

"Anna, what's going on? What's the matter?" He was worried now, worried he'd done something wrong and scared her. She couldn't leave him now. Not after he'd found her.

"I don't know what's happening. I don't understand any of this." She was backing away from him, her tiny frame trembling in what looked like fear. "I'm sorry," she whispered, not meeting his gaze as she turned and bolted from the room.

It wasn't until he heard her footsteps on the stairs that Warren gave chase, calling after her as she ran through the front hall and out the door, into the pounding rain. "Anna!" he yelled, dark eyes scouring the street for her familiar face; but he would not find her, for Anna had used her powers and vanished the moment she passed under the door frame. She sprinted to her car, fumbling with the keys and all but launching herself into the front seat when the door unlocked. The tires squealed on the wet road as she sped down the street, her wet face coming back into view as she raised a hand to wipe at her eyes. She couldn't tell where the rain ended and her tears began.

* * *

**Uh oh. What's the matter, Anna?**

**So, the mystery woman turned out to be Jamie! For those of you who are new to my stories in this fandom, Jamie is my Sky High OC and I love her to bits. She and Warren have become my little headcanon over the years and all the stories I'm planning for this fandom have her in them, because it's almost impossible for me to write anything Sky High related and not have her in it. And I know how much Ski adores her, so it was a given that she'd be in this story. **

**Actually, the conversation between Anna and Jamie might just be my favourite scene. It was definitely one I was looking forward to during the writing process.**

**The third and final installment will be up in another few days. As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts :)**

**See you soon.**

**xx**


	3. Part Three

**Enjoy :)**

* * *

_So I've learned to swim against the current  
__To live my life and now I'm free  
__Because honestly  
__There's no one else I'd rather be  
So watch  
Me leave_

_Against The Current ~ Mree_

* * *

Anna was miserable.

Three weeks had passed since that night at Warren's house, and ever since then she'd been avoiding him like the plague. It was easier now that their study sessions were finished and they had no classes together, but she still saw him in the halls – in which case she'd practically dive into the nearest classroom or bathroom or whatever room was closest, dragging whoever accompanied her along for the ride – and outside after school. He had even tried calling and texting her at first, but she had refused to read his messages or listen to his voicemails. She couldn't face him, couldn't listen to his voice and hear what she'd done to him.

She knew that this was all her fault and that Warren had done nothing wrong. She knew she should go and see him, go and apologize, but every time she considered it her stomach cramped up in fear and she decided against it. She still didn't quite understand what had happened that night. She _wanted _to kiss him and she'd been happy at first, wrapped up in his arms, but then terror struck and it felt like the walls were closing in on her.

Too much of her time had been spent dissecting that night, over analyzing every little thing until she had a migraine. And she still had no idea what had happened.

Or perhaps she did. But she wasn't ready to admit it.

In an attempt to keep her mind off such troubling thoughts, Anna made sure she was never without something to do. She cleaned her room, – more like cleaned the whole house. Her parents were thrilled at that – went shopping with Ava, studied, watched movies, read books and spent hours on the internet; but more than anything else, she baked.

Anna had always found baking an enjoyable, therapeutic experience and this time was no different. Her arm ached from mixing batter, but her mind soon began to clear and she was able to relax for the first time in weeks. She baked all sorts of things: banana bread, cookies, muffins, cupcakes, brownies and cakes, stopping only when there was no room left for any of her creations in the fridge or cupboards. Her solution was to invite TJ and Ava over practically every afternoon so they could gorge themselves on the variety of baked goods.

It wasn't long, however, before Ava was complaining that Anna was trying to fatten her up so she couldn't fit into her dress for the dance. In reality, it was because Ava could eat her entire weight in food and still be hungry, but she let her think what she wanted.

That was something else Anna had to dwell on: the end of year semi-formal. While prom was only for the seniors, Sky High always held a smaller, more casual event for all students to attend toward the end of the year. It was a way for everyone to let their hair down and have fun after so many months of testing and learning and that grating school mentality. Ava was crazy excited about it, which was nothing out of the ordinary, but that excitement soon began to rub off onto Anna the more she spoke about it. Anna always enjoyed dressing up and dancing, even though she didn't have much talent in the latter department.

But then her excitement would vanish the moment she realized she didn't have a date and the one person she really wanted to go with was the very person she was currently avoiding.

Despite all her current problems, TJ still came over to see her every few days – whether to see how she was doing or eat cupcakes and banana bread, she wasn't sure – and today was no different. The moment Anna got home from school she'd made a beeline for the kitchen and pulled out everything necessary to make a new batch of brownies to satisfy her craving for chocolate. By the time TJ arrived she was covered in flour and chocolate smudges, but she looked happy, and that was what mattered to him.

"Hey, An-oooooh, you made more banana bread! Right on." He pulled one of the kitchen stools over to the counter and sat down, resting his elbows on the only bit of counter that didn't have flour or butter smeared all over it. "What's up?" he asked, pulling the freshly baked banana bread over to where he sat.

"Help yourself," Anna teased, watching as he tore a piece away and shoved it into his mouth. That boy had a real thing for banana bread. "What brings you here?"

"I haf sumfing to ask moo," he said around his mouthful of food, spraying crumbs onto the countertop.

"Excuse you, piglet," Anna scolded, brushing the crumbs away. "You're messing up my work space."

TJ swallowed before speaking this time. "It was already messy."

"But it's a nice mess. Now, what did you say?"

"I said I have something to ask you," he repeated. "Well, I'm not so much asking you as telling you, because you have no choice here."

Anna scoffed as she scooped the last of the brownie batter into a tray and took it over to the oven. "I'll be the judge of that," she said, closing the oven door and nodding to herself. _Countdown to deliciousness: activate. _"Lay it on me then, wise guy."

TJ grinned and got off the stool, walking around the counter to take Anna's flour covered hand. "Anna Clarke," he began, smiling down at her. "You're coming to the dance with me."

Anna stared at him in silence for a moment, her mouth slightly agape. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"I did, but who said I was going to the dance at all?"

"Please. We both know you're excited about it and I refuse to let you go alone, so here's what you're going to do: this weekend you and Ava are going dress shopping and you're going to smile and laugh and have fun, and then, on the night of the dance, I'm going to come and pick you up and we're going to enjoy ourselves and not be moping around baking brownies. Alright?" TJ's expression was deadly serious, despite the crumbs that clung to the corners of his mouth and Anna felt her eyes sting with tears at how much he cared for her.

"I don't know, TJ…" she began, but he cut her off.

"You do know," he told her. "Yes, you messed up, but that doesn't mean you have to keep feeling sorry for yourself. You can't just wait around doing nothing and expect things to get better. You need to pick yourself up and start living again. You're about to graduate high school for goodness sake. Be happy!"

His words were harsh, but Anna knew they were true. He and Ava had let her be sad, but now they were pulling her out of the rut she'd fallen into; and she needed to let them. "Okay," she said after a long moment of silence. TJ looked at her with hopeful eyes, squeezing her hand when she started to smile. "Okay. Let's do it."

x-x-x

"No. The color is wrong."

"What's with the high neckline? We're not going to church."

"Ooh, that's pretty. Turn for me? Oh wait, no. No, I don't like it."

"I don't remember telling you to try that one on."

"Oh ew. No. Take it off."

"No frills. Ever."

Anna groaned as she trudged back to her dressing room, her feet aching from the constant back and forth so that Ava could decide whether or not she liked her outfit. So far, she didn't like anything – and she'd picked them all out. "We've been at this for two hours. Can I have a break?"

"Not yet," Ava replied and Anna saw her high heels peek under the dressing room door a second before she flung yet another dress over the top. "Try this one on and then maybe I'll let you rest."

"God, you're such a slave driver." She eyed the sea green dress Ava had given her, not realizing that it was completely backless until she'd put it on. "Are you kidding me, Ava? No way!"

"Oh, come on! It's pretty!"

"_No._"

"Ugh. You're no fun."

Anna laughed quietly as she took the dress off and changed back into her regular clothes, adding the – admittedly, very pretty – dress to the 'no' pile, which was growing bigger by the minute. As promised, she'd let Ava drag her out of the house bright and early Saturday morning to go dress shopping. Ava already had her outfit picked out, but if there was one thing she loved more than shopping for herself, it was shopping for Anna – probably because Anna rarely let her do it. She'd been grumpy at first, especially from being woken up so early, but after a few cups of coffee she'd cheered up and started to have fun. It felt strange being out and about again after so long cooped up at home. It just reminded her that even though she was struggling, the world was still spinning and life continued on all around her.

Ava had spoken to her about the Warren situation on the drive into town, listening to Anna's fears and frustrations and giving her opinion when desired, and sometimes even when it wasn't. She agreed wholeheartedly that going to the dance with TJ was the best thing for her right now; everything with Warren would work itself out in the end, but that didn't mean she had to deny herself any chance of happiness until then.

After slipping her shoes back on Anna left her cubicle and rejoined Ava out on the shop floor. The smaller girl was currently examining a rack of cocktail dresses, her lips pinched in frustration. "What's up, shorty?"

"There's nothing good here," she replied dejectedly. "Well, nothing you'd be willing to wear, anyway. Perhaps we should try the dress shop down the street?"

"That sounds like a great idea, but may I please have a rest first? My feet are killing me and I'm starving."

Ava heaved a big, dramatic sigh and turned to her friend. "Fine, but if you're getting something to eat then I want a donut… or a muffin… or a burger. It's your call, really." She smiled warmly and the two made their way back out onto the street, agreeing to meet at the next store in ten minutes. Ava was going straight there to get a head start while Anna went to the local bakery and bought something to eat; a quick glance at her phone told her it was almost 12:30. Well no wonder she was hungry.

There was a chill in the air today and Anna huddled further into her coat as she hurried down the street, her nose already starting to go numb. The bell above the bakery door jingled welcomingly as it opened, but the sound of someone calling her name made her pause. With one foot in the door, Anna leaned back out into the street to investigate, spotting none other than Jamie jogging down the street to meet her.

"Jamie," she said in surprise, stepping out of the way as a mother and her little baby slipped out the door. "Hey. How are you?"

"I'm good," she replied brightly, her cheeks flushed pink from the wind. "What are you doing in town?"

"Dress shopping with Ava. I'm on snack duty," she said, gesturing to the still half-open door.

Jamie laughed. "I always opt to get food instead of being stuck clothes shopping. As much as I enjoy it, it gets boring real quick." Her bright blue eyes glowed in the light of the winter sun and Anna was struck once again by how pretty she was. "So, do you have time for coffee with a girlfriend?"

Anna smiled. "I always have time for coffee."

The warmth from the bakery sank straight through Anna's clothes as she and Jamie bought their food and went to sit by the front window. Anna slipped the paper bag with Ava's food in it into her satchel as she sat down, her coat draped over the back of the chair. The smell of coffee assailed her nostrils and she sighed happily, taking a sip of the toasty beverage.

"So, how have you been?" Jamie asked, slim fingers curled around her mug. Anna could tell by the look in her eyes that she knew what was going on, but she didn't want to ask directly and cause discomfort.

"I've certainly been better," Anna replied, leaning back in her seat. "But I'm managing."

Jamie nodded and took a sip of her drink. "I heard you got your credits," she said. "Congratulations."

"Thanks." As promised, Anna had received her extra credits for tutoring Warren, adding to her already impressive grades. She wasn't one to boast, but she was proud of herself – she'd worked herself to the bone to get those grades. "It took off a lot of stress."

"Tell me about it," Jamie agreed. "I'm surprised I haven't had a nervous breakdown already, what with college responses coming in and end of year exams as well as our impending graduation. Are seniors always this panicked?"

"Probably," Anna said with a smile. "Where did you apply for college?"

"It feels like I've sent an application to at least every state in the country," Jamie laughed. "I even applied to the University of Toronto, if you can believe it. Insane, right?" She shook her head, sending her hair slipping over her shoulders. "Although I'm hoping to be accepted somewhere in New York; it's where I've always wanted to go to college and there are schools there that Zane's interested in."

"Ah. So he's going where you go?"

"Yeah. How cliché are we?" She looked a little sheepish, her still pink cheeks highlighting the expression. "I know Will is going to follow Layla wherever she goes, so maybe we Strongholds are a bunch of romantics, I don't know. What about you?"

"I applied here and there, but I've got my sights set on Virginia," Anna replied.

"Virginia?" Jamie looked a little surprised by this. "I wouldn't have guessed that."

"I've got a lot of family history out there," she explained. "I've been going there for as long as I can remember and over the years I just fell in love with the whole atmosphere, and it will be easy for my parents to visit me because our family has a heap of land out that way."

"That's really sweet." Jamie smiled around the rim of her mug. "I'll keep my fingers crossed for you."

Anna smiled back and as the conversation dwindled, her thoughts turned to the person they were trying not to talk about. "So… h-how's… um…"

"How's Warren?" Jamie supplied in a gentle voice. Anna nodded. "He's okay; almost finished with all of his exams. He's doing really well. I suppose he has you to thank for that."

Anna's chest squeezed. "He would have done just fine with or without my help, but –"

"But that's not what you were asking," Jamie finished for her. She sighed, her gaze dropping to her coffee. "I won't sugar coat it for you, Anna – you really hurt him." Anna flinched and Jamie's expression softened. "I'm sorry if that stung."

"It's okay," Anna said through a tight throat. "I deserved it."

"No. No, I don't think you did." Jamie looked up again and there was some strange emotion in her eyes that made Anna both nervous and brought her peace. "He and I talked about it a lot those first few days. He was worried that he'd done something wrong, overstepped a boundary or offended you in some way."

"Oh, no." Anna shook her head vehemently. "He didn't, he absolutely didn't. This is all on me."

Jamie nodded slowly. "I didn't think so." Her head tilted to one side and she offered Anna an encouraging smile. "Why don't you tell me what happened? I'd like to know your side of the story."

And so Anna told her everything, from the day she met him to that fateful night three weeks ago. Jamie listened intently, nodding at certain details and not judging once. Anna was grateful for that, for her patient face and the understanding silence she sat in until Anna was done, feeling emotionally exhausted from reliving all those events. She took a deep swig of her coffee to soothe her dry throat.

"I think I understand now," Jamie said when Anna stopped talking. "You were scared, plain and simple. There was no anger or discomfort that made you act like that; it was fear." Anna didn't speak, but something told her she didn't need to. Jamie was working it out on her own. "You know it's okay to be scared sometimes, Anna," she said gently. "I was scared at first, too, when I got together with Zane. I was scared of moving on from the only relationship I knew and while it's not quite the same, I think it's similar to what you're feeling. That crippling fear of the unknown, of taking a leap and there being no one to catch you." She reached out and took Anna's hand; the touch was incredibly comforting. "It's okay, Anna. It really is." She smiled and Anna's expression cracked, her insecurities shining through. "I know you don't understand what you're feeling, but that's okay. Don't force it. Just because we're almost done with school doesn't mean you have to rush to find all the answers. When you're ready, everything will become clear, and then you'll understand."

"But what about Warren?" Anna asked, her mind spinning from the advice Jamie was giving her. How she managed to hit the nail on the head like that was beyond her.

"Don't worry about him," Jamie soothed. "He's a big boy. He'll wait for you, Anna. Trust me."

"You're sure?"

"I am," Jamie said, letting go of Anna's hand to check her phone. "Now, I think I've kept you long enough. It's time you got back to Ava before she sends out a search party." She laughed to herself and the sound relaxed Anna's tight shoulders. "Come on, I'll walk you out." Jamie left a twenty on the table for the waitress and followed Anna out into the street. The wind had settled, but the air was still cold and Anna shivered as she shrugged back into her coat. "Remember, I'm just a phone call away," she said, pulling Anna into a tight hug. "Everything will be alright. I promise."

Anna returned the hug, hoping Jamie could feel how grateful she was. "Thank you, Jamie. Really."

Jamie leaned back and smiled again. "Don't mention it. Now you go and enjoy the rest of your day, and I'll see you at school."

The two girls parted ways, Anna walking up the street to the dress shop where Ava waited for her. She couldn't describe it, but she felt infinitely better after talking with Jamie. When she walked into the store and found Ava sitting beside a mounting pile of new dresses for her to try on, it was with a wide, genuine smile on her face.

x-x-x

Jamie's words remained with Anna long after she returned from shopping with Ava. She tried not to read too much into the other girl's advice, despite its constant presence in the back of her mind. Ava had complained when Anna returned to her almost twenty minutes later than agreed, shutting up only when Anna told her about her coffee and conversation with Jamie. She didn't let her dwell on it, however, shoving her into the nearest cubicle and practically burying her under a mountain of dresses.

Thankfully there had been one dress in particular that the two of them had agreed on and Anna stared at it now with an air of satisfaction as she relaxed on her bed, the dress hanging from her open closet door. The only other thing she'd needed was a pair of shoes, which had been easy to find. Anything else was already supplied at home.

TJ had been very happy to hear that the shop had been successful. "You know," he'd said as they'd spoken on the phone that afternoon. "You sound better. Happier."

His observation had surprised her at first, but she soon realized that he was right. She _did _feel better; she felt like she was slowly crawling out of the darkness and back into the light, and that made her happy. Maybe Jamie was right, maybe they were _all _right.

Maybe everything _would_ be okay in the end.

She remembered what TJ had said to her the other day in the kitchen, that she couldn't wait around doing nothing and expect things to get better. This was _her _problem, which meant she was the only one who could fix it; and the first thing to do was figure out why she was acting like this in the first place.

Anna leaned back against the headboard, her legs bent and toes tapping a lazy rhythm into the mattress. The night was calm and quiet, with nothing but the sound of leaves rustling in the light winter breeze. It was such a contrast to the weather that night at Warren's; it had been storming that night, the lightning cutting through her soul like a knife. Her mother, Rue, had been the supportive energy she'd needed that night, giving her fresh, warm clothes and a cup of tea – as well as a shot of whisky, so long as she didn't tell her father.

She recalled the way she'd felt as she stumbled in through the door, eyes blurred with rainwater and tears as she shivered from the cold. She had seen the goose bumps on her arms, felt the way her teeth had chattered, and yet she was numb to it all, only thawing out when her mother wrapped her arms around her and tried to soothe her crying.

They'd stayed up almost all night, Rue listening as Anna blubbered and made little to no sense until she fell asleep in her arms. She remembered now, something that her mother had said to her as she'd drifted off to sleep on the couch. _It'll be okay, sweetie, _she'd said. _Falling in love is always scary at first._

Anna had thought she was mad to suggest such a thing, but now she gave the thought a bit more consideration. And the more she thought about it, the more she realized how often it had been brought up in conversation; even Jamie had told her that it was okay to be scared. Had she meant what her mother had? That falling in love was scary, but she'd be okay?

She sat up straight as her mind slowly began to connect the dots. When she'd first met Warren, she had hated his guts. He was rude, arrogant, self-centered and just all around pigheaded - but now she knew he was kind, caring and sweet. That he was just a lost soul trying to find his way in the world. She knew who he was and what he wanted from life. She knew that he was smart and that if he tried, he could do anything.

And she didn't want to lose him.

Her heart began to race and she pressed a hand to her chest, her breaths coming short and fast. She had been scared to get too close to him for fear of destroying what they had, but what if taking a chance made it better? What if they could make it work? It felt like she was standing at the edge of the ocean, too scared to step into the cold water. But when was anyone ever ready for that sensation; for the cold to steal the air from your lungs and lock up your muscles? Still, people stepped in every day, all because they knew there would be someone there to keep them afloat, to hold them steady.

Her chest constricted at the possibility that Warren would be waiting for her in the water. She knew that her heart had grown and that he had found a place there, but she'd been too scared to admit it. She didn't want to start something that wouldn't last, but who's to say they couldn't make it work? Who's to say that they didn't deserve the chance to try? She wanted to share that with him. She wanted to see him smile at her, to hear his voice at night, to kiss him like she had. To tell him how much she loved him.

Because she did.

She loved him.

"Oh my god," she breathed, eyes wide. She didn't know when it had happened, or how, and she didn't care. He was a part of her life now and she was going to do everything she could to keep him there. _This _was what everyone had been talking about. _This _was what she needed to find out for herself; she had been blind to what everyone else could see. But it didn't matter, because she saw it now. "I love him," she whispered, a slow smile pulling at her lips. "I love him."

Before she knew it she was on her feet and running down the stairs, nimble fingers grabbing the car keys from their hook in the foyer. Her mother heard the noise and came out from the lounge room to investigate, raising her perfectly shaped eyebrows when she saw her daughter struggling to put her coat and boots on. "Anna, what's going on?"

Anna looked up at her with wide, refreshed eyes. "I get it, mom. I finally get it."

Rue walked over to her and tenderly pulled the young girl's dirty blonde hair out from under the neckline of her coat. "I see. So, what are you planning to do now?"

Anna shrugged, her cheeks flushed. Rue couldn't remember the last time she'd seen her daughter so blissfully happy and energetic. She had known from the beginning that Anna was in love with this Warren boy, but she simply needed the time and space to figure it out for herself. And from the looks of things, she'd finally done so. "I don't know, I just need to go somewhere, tell someone. Warren usually works late during the week, so maybe I can catch him before his shift ends."

"And if you don't?"

Anna looked up at that and Rue could see the fresh epiphany all over her face. "I have no idea and for once I don't care. Even if I don't see him, it doesn't matter because I understand now. Do you know what I mean?"

Rue nodded, not wanting to speak for fear of crying. She couldn't help it. "Go," she whispered, cupping Anna's cheeks in her hands. "Do what you need to do and remember that I'm proud of you."

Anna smiled and wrapped her arms around her mother's small frame. "Thanks, mom," she said and then she was out the door and running to her car. Even in the darkness she shone with the light of new love and Rue watched her with the endless devotion only a parent could give.

"Where's she off to?" said a low, masculine voice. Rue leaned back into the solid weight of her husband, Dallas, as he came up behind her. "It's late."

Rue chuckled quietly, taking his hand between her own. "She's following her heart."

x-x-x

Thankfully the Paper Lantern was still open by the time Anna arrived, adrenaline still rushing through her veins. It was a miracle she hadn't been pulled over by the police as she tore through the quiet city streets, desperate to get to the small Chinese restaurant. She'd been here several times – before and after she met Warren – and recognized several of the staff cars as she pulled into the parking lot. They were having a quiet night by the looks of it. That was both good and bad; good because she wouldn't have to wait too long to talk to Warren and bad because everyone else inside would most likely be able to hear her. Oh well, what was a declaration of love without a few eavesdroppers?

Despite the confidence in her feelings, Anna still felt a flash of fear as she walked up to the front door of the restaurant. Warren had no idea about what had happened in the last hour; hell, he hadn't seen her in almost a month. Perhaps she could have given him some prior warning, texted him to let him know she was coming, but in the midst of everything such a thing had slipped her mind.

"Oh well," she said, hand half raised to push the door open. "I'm here now. Nothing left to do but take the plunge."

The bell jingled invitingly as the door opened and Anna breathed in the smell of lemon chicken and rice to calm her nerves. The deep red tones and traditional Chinese lanterns were oddly calming in this familiar space and Anna walked confidently up to the nearest waitress who was slowly clearing away one of the empty tables. "Excuse me," she began politely. "Is Warren here?"

The girl looked up at the new voice, the dishes in the tray she carried clanking together as she straightened up. "I'm sorry, but you just missed him. His shift ended about ten minutes ago."

For a moment Anna's heart sank, but she quickly picked herself up and carried on. "Oh. That's okay, then. I'm sorry to have bothered you."

The waitress saw the fleeting sadness on Anna's face and quickly spoke again. "You can leave a message for him if you want? I'll make sure he gets it the next time he's here."

Somehow, the idea of leaving Warren a note saying _I love you _on it seemed a bit childish. Anna smiled and shook her head. "No, that's fine. I'll see him another time."

"Do you want me to let him know you were here?"

"No thank you." Perhaps this was a blessing in disguise. Barging into Warren's place of work and spilling her feelings out to him may not have been the wisest choice. Now she could be a bit more delicate about it, wait until her head was clear and she was ready to see him. No. This was good. She could work with this. "I'll head home now. You enjoy the rest of your night."

"Wait," said the girl before Anna could leave. "Here."

Anna caught the small object before it could fall to the floor, uncurling her fingers when she had it firmly in her grip. It was a fortune cookie.

The waitress smiled. "Good luck."

Anna beamed back at her.

x-x-x

"This school certainly knows how to throw a party."

"I guess you could say they put the _fun _in function."

"That was a terrible pun."

"You're a terrible pun."

TJ laughed at the sour expression on Anna's face as they walked through the double doors and into the school gym, which had been completely decked out for the end of year semi-formal. Twinkle lights hung from every available surface and music came at the dancers from every corner of the room. It wasn't as lavish as homecoming or prom, but it was still pretty damn good. Anna could see several of the teaching staff around the gymnasium, keeping a watchful, yet relaxed eye on the partygoers; Mr. Boy was at the drink table, handing out cups of punch to thirsty students.

As promised, TJ had shown up at Anna's house earlier in the evening, dressed in dark jeans and a simple white shirt, ready to escort her to the dance. Seeing as neither of them could fly they'd had to wait for the bus to come and pick them up, but that hadn't bothered them in the slightest. Besides, flying would only mess up Anna's hair.

It had been a week since Anna's epiphany and TJ and Ava were well aware of their best friend's feelings for the soccer captain. TJ was overjoyed, of course, claiming to have known it from the beginning, shutting up only when Ava slugged him in the arm for trying to take all the credit. They agreed with her decision to wait for the right time to talk to Warren, although Ava found her mad dash to the Paper Lantern absolutely adorable.

If all went well, Anna would see him tonight. Then again, she had no idea if he'd actually decided to show up tonight or if he already had a date; the latter thought made her feel sick, but if that was the case… well… she'd come up with something.

"Anna! You made it!" Ava jogged over to where she and TJ stood, taking Anna's hands the moment she was in reach. "I was wondering when you'd get here. You look fantastic, by the way."

"Thanks," Anna said over the music. She wore a one shouldered, light blue mini dress, silver sandals and matching silver drop earrings. Her hair was down, with its usual two side braids pulled together at the back of her head – it was only a semi-formal dance, after all. Best to keep it simple. She opened her mouth to compliment Ava on her wardrobe, but paused when she realized what it was the other girl had on. "Why are you wearing a go-go dress?"

Ava looked down at the plum colored dress she wore with an expression of the utmost satisfaction. Unlike Anna, the accessories she'd chosen were all gold and her hair was pulled up in a high ponytail. "I was feeling nostalgic for the 60s."

"You were born in the 90s."

"I really don't see your point."

TJ grinned, reaching out to tug on the hem of Ava's dress. "I like it. Very retro."

Anna had to admit that it suited her. "I just appreciate the lack of white thigh high boots."

Ava giggled, turning one of her legs to show off the gold flats she wore. "Oh, believe me, I was thinking about it." She put her hands on her hips and turned her attention to TJ. "So, hotshot, am I going to get to dance with you tonight?"

TJ made a show of putting his hand over the one Anna had tucked into the crook of his elbow. "We've barely been here five minutes and you're already trying to steal me away from my woman?" he teased. "I thought you already had a date."

"I do, but it doesn't mean I have to dance with him _all_ night." Ava's date was, ironically enough, one of Warren's teammates. "Come on, dreads, don't leave me hanging."

"Like I could ever say no to you," he replied. "But I'll have you know that if another beautiful woman asks me for a dance, I'm ditching you. Capiche?"

"Such a gentleman," Ava sighed. "Fine. I accept your terms."

"Wonderful. Now, would either of you like a drink?" After a quick nod from Anna, TJ left them to talk while he made his way over to the drinks table. Anna saw someone clap him on the shoulder and knew it would be a little while before he found them again.

"So, what's the plan?" Ava asked, linking their arms together as they walked further into the gym, giving the dancers a wide berth. "I'm okay with anything so long as it's not overly cheesy."

Anna shrugged. "There's no plan," she replied. "I'm just going to wing it."

Ava looked at her curiously. "Where is my uptight best friend tonight? You're never this relaxed about things."

"I guess I've changed," she said, and there was nothing but happiness in her voice. Ava smiled and squeezed her arm. She had seen the transformation in Anna over the last few months and was glad that she now saw it, too.

"My baby is all grown up," she teased, sniffing dramatically and waving her free hand under her eyes, pretending to dry away her tears. Anna rolled her eyes and tugged playfully on her arm, looking out over the crowd of students as Ava laughed beside her. There was no sign of Warren yet, but that was okay. While she was here to see him, she was also here to enjoy herself; whether or not she got the chance to speak to him wouldn't decide the outcome of her night, she wouldn't let it. She had promised herself that she'd have fun, no matter what.

"Hey, look," Ava said, lifting her hand to point at a finely dressed couple by one of the tables. "There's Jamie. Let's go say hi."

Jamie looked up as the girls approached, her signature bright smile lighting up her face. She looked absolutely stunning in her black and nude lace maxi dress, black pumps and matching pearl necklace and bangles. Her usual thick, wavy hair had been flat ironed straight and when she moved her head, Anna saw a flash of pastel pink feather earrings. "Hi girls," she greeted cheerfully. "You look gorgeous."

"Thank you, darling," Ava said smoothly, while Anna blushed at the compliment. "I absolutely adore your dress."

Jamie gave a soft, shy laugh as she ran her hands over the lace skirt of her dress. "Thanks." She turned to look at Zane as he came up beside her, looking as elegant as his girlfriend. They were dressed just as casually as everyone else, yet they seemed to stand out like flames in a dark room. "I'm glad you could make it, Anna," she said, meeting her grey gaze. They stared at each other in silence for a few seconds, Jamie looking like she was searching for something in Anna's eyes. Whatever it was, she must have found it for a moment later her expression smoothed out and she smiled knowingly. "You seem different somehow."

Anna caught on then and smiled back at her. "I feel different," she confirmed. "Perhaps it's because I'm not scared anymore."

Jamie's eyes glowed. "That must be it."

Zane glanced at his date from the corner of his eye before looking to Anna, the ring in his lip catching the light as he smiled. Anna heard Ava make a faint _"ooooh"_ sound. "It's nice to see you again, Anna," he said, his voice low and gentle; like liquid gold. "I hope you'll save me a dance tonight."

"Of course," she replied, trying not to laugh as Ava continued to make appreciative noises beside her.

Jamie noticed this and bit down on her bottom lip to hide her grin. "Well, it can stay saved for a while," she said, stepping forward. "Because I'm dancing with her first. Come on girls."

"And who am I supposed to dance with?" Zane called after them.

"I'm sure Will is around here somewhere," Jamie shot back, barely sparing him a glance as she all but dragged the two girls into the throng of dancers.

It felt wonderful to let go of everything that had been troubling her for so long and just jump around like an idiot with her friends. TJ showed up mid-song and stole Ava away for her dance while Jamie stayed with Anna, twirling her around until she felt dizzy. They stayed out on the dance floor for what felt like hours, laughing and jumping and singing every single song the DJ played at the top of their lungs; Will and TJ even started a conga line at one point.

When Anna's feet started to hurt they retreated to one of the tables with Jamie and the others, swapping stories and hopping from one conversation topic to another. TJ looked overjoyed to see all his friends together in one place, watching as everyone spoke over the top of each other and laughed so hard they went red in the face. It wasn't hard to tell that new, long lasting friendships were being forged tonight.

"- and then the table snapped clean in half!" Jamie finished through her giggles, slapping her brother on the back.

"With all the phones dad breaks, you think they'd have a spare dining table lying around somewhere," Will chuckled, flicking a bottle top across the table. He and his sister were regaling everyone with the story of how they'd broken the dining room table during an arm wrestling match. "I'll never forget the look on mom's face. I'm pretty sure I wet my pants a little."

Ava snorted. "So, who got the blame?"

"Will, of course," Jamie said. "I may be strong, but he got the full dose of super strength from dad. That and no one can stay mad at me for long. I mean, come on, look at this face." To further demonstrate her words, she stuck out her lower lip and batted her eyelashes.

"Pff, that's not cute," Will argued. "You look like you're having a seizure."

"Whatever. That face has gotten me out of trouble for years, meanwhile you keep blaming the dog, and we don't even have a dog!"

"I still can't believe it worked."

"It was one time."

"Which is one more than I was expecting."

Anna turned her attention to the lively crowd as Jamie and Will began to tease each other again, her stormy eyes searching face after face. They'd been here almost two hours and there was still no sign of Warren. Despite how much fun she was having, his absence left a hollow sensation in her chest; perhaps he'd decided not to come, not wanting to risk running into her. She began to question her morals as she sat at the table, chin resting on the palm of her hand. Maybe she should have called him or left a text to explain the situation, but it all seemed too childish and cowardly. She wanted to do this face-to-face, however letting Warren know she wanted to see him probably would have been a wise move.

_Here's hoping luck is on my side tonight, _she thought to herself.

"Are you okay, Anna?" Jamie asked, looking at her with concerned eyes. Will had diverted his attention to Layla, leaving his sister to do as she pleased. "You look troubled."

Anna managed a weak smile. "I'm okay, just keeping an eye out. You haven't seen him at all yet, have you?"

Jamie looked around the room, a slight twist to the set of her mouth. "I'm afraid not," she said. "But the night is still young. Don't let it bother you too much, honey."

Zane watched the exchange in silence, reaching over to take Jamie's hand as she leaned back in her seat. She looked down at his hand with a smile and linked their fingers together. "Actually, if it's not too much trouble," he began quietly, turning to Anna. "I'd like to claim that dance you owe me, Miss Clarke."

Anna felt the sharp point of Ava's shoe against her ankle, a silent way of saying: '_I'll dance with him if you won't, but I can't guarantee you'll get him back' _and let out a soft laugh. "I'd love to, if Jamie doesn't mind me stealing you away."

"I don't mind at all," Jamie said. "I might even have a dance with TJ."

"You won't be able to stop at one," TJ shot back with a wink.

"Speaking of, I should probably go find my date and make him dance with me," Ava said, rising from her chair. "I'll be right back."

Zane watched her go before getting up and circling the table to stand before Anna. "May I have this dance?" he asked politely, holding his hand out for her to take.

Anna delighted in his old fashioned ways and happily gave him her hand. "You may," she said, following him out onto the dance floor just as the song changed to a slower, more romantic tune. She shot Zane a suspicious glance. "You didn't plan this, did you?"

Zane chuckled. "Maybe I did, maybe I didn't."

"It was a total fluke, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was."

Anna laughed. "Still, I'm impressed." She let him guide her hand onto his shoulder, wrapping his long fingers around her other hand before he began to lead her in a slow circle. He was an excellent dancer, soothing her when she stumbled or missed a step and soon they were dancing smoothly across the floor. Anna felt like she was in some black and white romance movie, dancing the night away with a handsome prince – even if he wasn't quite the one she was hoping for.

Zane noticed this and gently squeezed her hand. "What's the matter?" he asked in a low voice, so as not to disturb the other couples.

Anna sighed despite herself, glancing up to meet his quicksilver eyes. "I don't know. I promised myself I wouldn't let it get to me if he didn't come, but I feel like I got my hopes up for nothing."

"You don't think he'd want to see you?"

"After the way I treated him? Not at all. But there was a small part of me who hoped for a different outcome, but I guess I'm not surprised. I'm not worth it."

Zane's expression softened at her dejected tone. "How can you say something like that?"

"I'm not like other girls," she said sadly. "I'm not pretty or outgoing or brave. I'm not like Jamie. I'm just… me."

"And what's wrong with just being you?" he asked, smiling down at her. She wasn't sure what to say to that. "I haven't known you very long, but I can tell you that I think you're rather remarkable. Sure, you may not be as outgoing as other girls, but who says you have to be? And comparing yourself to Jamie is just silly; you're two completely different people. But as someone who knows you both, I can say with the utmost surety that you're just as incredible as each other – in your own ways." He spun her around then, sending her hair swirling around her face. "There is no one else you need to be in this world but yourself, because there's no one else like you."

His honest words made her eyes sting and she blinked rapidly to keep the tears at bay. The last thing she needed was smudged mascara. "Thank you, Zane."

"You're welcome," he said. "Just for the record, I think you're very brave; and you'd be hard pressed to find someone who didn't think you were gorgeous."

She laughed then, the sound morphing into a small hiccup. "You really are very charming, aren't you?"

He smiled. "I don't have to try very hard."

"I can see that."

He chuckled again, lifting Anna's spirits. She could see TJ and Jamie dancing not too far from them, as well as Ava and her date; Will, Layla and the rest of their friends had also joined them for a few slow dances. "You keep looking for him," Zane observed, recapturing Anna's attention.

She blushed. "I can't help it."

"It's okay, although I don't think you need to look much further."

She blinked at him, not quite understanding. "I don't?"

"No, you don't." He spun her around again, but this time he let go of her hand mid-turn and stepped away. Before she could ask him what he was doing, or stop her spinning, another hand took his place, gently grasping her fingers. Anna recognized the warm, callused skin before she saw his face, but the sight of it sent her heart pounding nevertheless.

Warren looked down at her with cautious eyes, dark hair framing his face. "Hey," he said, and the sound of his voice sent a rush of love through Anna's body. Oh, how she'd missed that sound.

"Hi," she breathed. They stood still for a moment before Warren began leading her in a circle, just as Zane had. "I didn't think you were going to show."

"Neither did I," he said, his jaw tight.

"I'm glad you did."

His eyes widened a little, the only visible reaction to her words. "You are?"

"Of course. Everyone was hoping you'd make it."

"Oh."

Obviously that wasn't what he'd been hoping to hear, but it was the best she could do right now. His sudden appearance had thrown her off her game and she felt panic tightening her throat. This was her chance. Her chance to fix everything she'd broken and see whether or not it would hold together afterwards. If _they _would hold together.

"So, how have you been?" she asked carefully, trying not to step on his toes.

He scoffed. "Like you care?"

She flinched away from him, the sting of his words like knife through her stomach. But it was okay. She deserved that. Hell, she _expected _that. It would have been worse if he'd been overly sweet and kind to her. She wanted the truth, even if it hurt. "I do care," she said firmly. "Look, trying to have a serious conversation and dance at the same time isn't going to do us any good. Can we… go for a walk?"

He looked over her shoulder for a moment. "We can't leave the gym without adult supervision."

"Right," she sighed. Crap, now what? "Well, how about getting away from the crowds at least?"

"Sure." He let go of her hand and followed her away from the dancing couples, past the tables and over to the wall of windows at the far end of the room. He leaned against a concrete pillar as Anna stared out into the night, the moon shining onto her already pale skin.

"I want you to know how sorry I am, Warren," she began in a quiet voice. "For everything." He didn't say a word and Anna took that as permission to continue on. "I know that doesn't take back what I've done to you, but I had to let you know. I was stupid and naïve and blind to what was right there in front of me."

"And what was that?" he asked her. Even though his tone was sharp, there was no mistaking the tremble in it, the uncertainty; the hope.

"You," she said. "It was always you. I just never realized." She pressed the palm of her hand against the cold glass, letting it sink into her skin. "When I met you it was like I'd found a piece of my soul that had been missing for years, but I didn't understand that until I'd gotten to know you, until I'd lost you. You made everything perfect and then my fear destroyed it all."

"You were scared?"

"I was terrified. I didn't know what I wanted from you, or what I could give you. It wasn't until I ran out that I truly started to realize what I had with you; what I _could _have had with you."

"What did you want?"

She sniffed, her eyes filling with tears. Screw the mascara. She'd cry if she wanted to. "I wanted a life with you, or however long you were willing to give me. But I convinced myself it was just a crush and that it wouldn't last even if we tried." Why was this so hard to explain? It didn't feel like she was making any sense, much less getting her point across. "Even now I'm tip toeing around the truth because I'm too scared you won't want it, won't want _me_. Not after what I've done."

"Anna, look at me." She lifted her gaze his face, slightly blurred through the river of tears that swam in her eyes, waiting to fall. "Oh, baby, don't cry." The endearment he used made a sob rip from her throat and his hard expression cracked, the fissures showing the hurt beneath.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry for everything that I've done. I never meant to hurt you, but I needed time to figure everything out. I didn't understand then, but now I do. I understand everything. Even if you don't want me now, even if you hate me, I had to tell you. You had to know."

Warren stepped closer, his fingers reaching for a strand of her hair. "Know what?"

"How much I love you," she said. _Finally. _It felt wonderful to say those words to him, to finally know how she felt. "I love you, Warren. I love you so much. It just took me a little while to see it."

For a moment Warren was silent, staring at her with wide eyes. "You love me?" he asked softly.

Anna nodded, tears trickling down her face. "I love you, and I'm yours… if you'll have me."

Warren let out a long breath and cupped her face in his hands. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting to hear that."

"I'm sorry it took me so long," she whispered, wrapping her fingers around his wrists.

"It doesn't matter," he said. "We got there in the end. God, Anna, you have to know – surely you must already know – that I love you. I've loved you from the moment you pushed me out of my chair in the library."

Anna laughed through her tears. "You made me so angry. I still think you deserved it."

"I did," he replied, a smile pulling at his lips. "I absolutely did."

"And even after that, after everything, you still love me?" she asked.

"If anything, it's made me love you more. Jamie told me about that day in town, when you met for coffee. She told me how scared you were, how much you wanted to make things right. I knew then that there was still hope for us."

"But that doesn't change the way things are now," she said. "I'm going away to college and you'll be doing whatever it is you want to do. Are you sure you want to start something now, when we're just going to be torn apart in a few months time?"

Warren pursed his lips in thought. "Where are you going to college?"

"Virginia," she told him. She had received her first set of college responses earlier in the week, including an acceptance letter to Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia; exactly where she wanted to go. "I start in the fall."

"Hmm. That's convenient, seeing as I'm going to Tennessee," he said, his smile growing.

Anna blinked, her mouth hanging open. "You're… what?"

"I'm going to study in Tennessee on a full soccer scholarship."

"You got it?"

He nodded, his thumbs stroking her cheeks. "I got it. And if I'm not mistaken, Tennessee and Virginia aren't that far from each other. Maybe a few hours' drive. Surely we can handle that?"

She was smiling now, even though her tears kept falling. Luck really _was _on her side tonight. "If it's what you want."

"Anna," he laughed softly. "I'd follow you anywhere." And then he kissed her.

While their previous kiss had been heavy and passionate, this one was light and sweet and full of love. Both parties were finally in the same place - each other's hearts. Anna wound her arms around Warren's neck as he practically lifted her off her feet, one hand on her hip while the other buried itself in her hair. Lips parted and tongues met and they struggled to keep kissing through their smiles. Anna's chest felt like it was going to crack open, unable to hold all of her joy inside. It seemed everything was going to be okay after all.

Before they could get too lost in each other, the sound of a high pitched wolf-whistle echoed out from the other side of the room and they broke the kiss to investigate. There, at the table Anna had occupied earlier, sat Jamie, Zane, Will, Layla, Ava, TJ, Zach, Magenta and Ethan, and they were all cheering and banging on the tabletop in celebration. Jamie looked overjoyed, perched on Zane's lap with her arm around his neck. Zane met Anna's gaze and gave her a smile that clearly said '_I told you so' _before he pressed a kiss to Jamie's temple. Anna smiled so hard it felt like her cheeks were about to split.

Warren chuckled and looked down at her. "They're insane, but I wouldn't be without them. Shall we?" he asked, holding out his hand.

Anna took it and raised it to her lips, gently kissing his knuckles. "We shall."

And as they walked across the gym to their friends, it was with joined hands and full hearts; because they knew that no matter what happened after this, they'd always have each other.

* * *

**All's well that ends well :)**

**And that marks the end of this little adventure. Thank you to Anna for being so patient with me and giving me the time I needed to do this story justice. I hope you enjoyed it. And a quick thank you to Libby for keeping me sane - as always - when this story threatened to drive me mad. As most things do ;)**

**In case some of you were wondering "Hey, what about Warren? He seems okay with everything now. What gives?" This story was always going to follow Anna and her realization that falling in love, while scary, can be truly wonderful. Jamie said that Warren was hurt at first and even though I didn't show it, he would have talked it out with Jamie and Will and his mother. I think he understood when Jamie filled him in on her coffee with Anna and would have forgiven her not long after, if he hadn't already. He knew she needed time to come to terms with everything and he loved her enough that he was willing to wait. **

**Oh, if it interests you, all the outfits described in this story are over on Polyvore. There's a link on my profile. If you go to my 'likes' page, you should see a collection called Birthday Fic, which has all of Anna's different outfits in it, and Jamie's dance outfit is in my sets. You'll figure it out :)**

**Thank you for reading.**

**Until next time.**

**xx**


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